Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee criticises Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s ‘roads in the sky’ remark over delays and alleged substandard work in the Foothills Road project.
Share
DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) has taken exception to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s remark in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly that ‘we cannot build roads in the sky,’ stating that the comment undermines concerns over delays and alleged substandard work in the ongoing Foothills Road project.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the committee said that it was “constrained to strongly resent” the remark and urged the state government to address issues related to the execution of the Foothills Road rather than dismissing public concerns.
The NFHRCC stated that 17 work orders were issued in December 2024 under the SASCI scheme after agreements were signed with PWD (Roads and Bridges).
Of these, two contractors—M/s JK Construction and M/s Chabou & Co—were served show-cause notices on February 4, 2026.
Related: Foothills Road caught between compensation demand and Centre’s free land condition, Rio tells NLA
Foothills Road row: NFHRCC warns of protest if Nagaland government misses March 31 deadline
According to the committee, the show-cause notices were later attributed to a communication gap following a site inspection by Minister for PWD (R&B) Kaito Aye on February 7, after which the contractors were reportedly given time until March 31 to complete the works.
However, the committee claimed that allegations of substandard construction in Baghty division have raised concerns among the public.
It also questioned the silence of the minister concerned and legislators linked to the allocation of the contract works.
The NFHRCC urged the state government to expedite the issuance of second-phase work orders under the SASCI scheme, stating that the first phase of the two-lane foothills road construction is nearing completion.
Highlighting the significance of the project, the committee stated that landowners along the proposed route—from Khelma to Tizit covering about 395.9 km—have donated land without compensation, describing the move as unprecedented since statehood.
The committee also reiterated that the current project focuses on two-lane road construction, and cautioned against shifting the discussion to four-lane expansion, which it maintained is not the immediate issue.