Minister G Kaito Aye set a March 31 deadline for Foothills Road completion as Bhandari and Changpang villages renewed their ‘no road, no oil’ warning.
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DIMAPUR — With the state government pushing for faster execution and affected villages issuing fresh warnings, the long-pending Foothills Road project has once again come under the spotlight, as PWD (Roads & Bridges) minister G Kaito Aye set a March 31 deadline for completion while aggrieved villages in Bhandari and Changpang renewed their ultimatum: no road, no oil exploration.
A press release informed that the minister on Saturday conducted a high-level on-site inspection of Foothills Road project under Niuland and Baghty sections, accompanied by the chief engineer, PWD (R&B), and senior officials.
Describing the Foothills Road as a “pathway to opportunity, unity and prosperity,” Aye reiterated that the project remains a top priority of the state government.
At Niuland, Aye reviewed the upgradation of an existing 8.6-km stretch to two-lane standards up to the granular sub-base layer, the construction of a 120-foot double-lane modular steel bridge, and blacktopping of a 7-km connectivity road to Rengmapani village.
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He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work and noted visible progress on the ground.
Inspecting the Baghty section—comprising three stretches totalling 38.6 km along with one 80-foot and four 50-foot modular steel bridges—the minister said that all bridge abutments had been completed and that modular components had begun arriving at site, with erection expected within February.
Acknowledging earlier delays caused by prolonged monsoon conditions and coordination challenges, Aye observed that work was now gaining pace, while cautioning against communication gaps between contractors and the department.
He directed contractors to scale up manpower and machinery deployment and make full use of the current working season, warning that while delays may occur, complacency would not be accepted.
Responding to the minister’s directives, the contractors assured that all assigned works would be completed by March 31, committing to submit detailed work plans and justifications for any extension by the same date.
“A deadline is a promise to the people, and I expect it to be honoured with sincerity and professionalism,” Aye said, while instructing technical staff of the Baghty division to extend cooperation to contractors without compromising on quality control.
No Foothills Road, no oil exploration
Meanwhile, representatives of aggrieved villages from Bhandari and Changpang areas, under the banner of the Bhandari & Changpang Area Aggrieved Villages Forum (AFR B&CA), held a general meeting at Longtsiri village in Wokha on February 7, reaffirming their earlier demand: “No Foothills Road, no oil exploration.”
In a separate statement, the forum reiterated its insistence on adherence to the approved alignment from Longayim village linking Mangkolemba division in Mokokchung district via Tssori Old and New villages, as endorsed by the Lotha Hoho.
It urged the state government to issue work orders for the remaining portion under Baghty division for the second phase of two-lane Foothills Road project on or before March 31.
Warning of consequences if their appeal is ignored, the forum said that failure to comply would compel the public to initiate “stringent democratic measures” against the government.
It also called for an open e-tender process and demanded that the road be cut to a uniform width of 40 feet, inclusive of existing cuts, as already donated by affected landowners.
The meeting unanimously resolved to extend continued cooperation to the Lotha Hoho and the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) for the remaining phases of what it described as Nagaland’s “iconic” Foothills Road project, while stressing the need for inclusiveness and transparency.