Tuensang, October 21 (MExN): The Eastern Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ENCCI) has renewed its appeal to the State Government for urgent approval and commencement of the long-delayed two-lane construction work on National Highway-202.
In its latest memorandum, ENCCI addressed Deputy Chief Minister and Minister in charge of National Highways TR Zeliang, urging immediate action to sanction and commence construction of the only “arterial lifeline” connecting the six eastern districts of Nagaland. The chamber expressed concern over “mere short-term maintenance” of the highway, describing it as inadequate to meet the region’s long-term infrastructure needs.
NH-202 traverses one of the oldest districts in Nagaland, but even after 62 years of statehood, Eastern Nagaland continues to be perennially neglected and disconnected, with the highway in a dilapidated condition, the October 16 memorandum stated.
The single-lane, manually constructed NH-202 remains the lifeline of the people, severely affecting daily life, public safety, mobility, and the regional economy, ENCCI said. The chamber also cited it as a contributing factor to the “ever-increasing gap of developmental disparity in the region.”
Accordingly, ENCCI called upon the Deputy Chief Minister’s office to expedite the sanction, approval, and commencement of the two-lane work on NH-202, pointing out that the necessary surveys, which began in 2021, have already been completed.
The renewed appeal follows an earlier memorandum submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on May 19, 2025, when ENCCI called upon the ministry to expedite the project.
Submitted through the Deputy Commissioner of Tuensang, the chamber sought MoRTH Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari’s personal intervention, pointing out that the deteriorating condition of NH-202 has paralysed regional commerce and endangered public safety across Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Noklak, Shamator, and Kiphire.
ENCCI also noted that an emergency meeting held on April 30, 2025, in Tuensang had resolved to highlight the worsening state of the highway and the severe hardships faced by the people.
“While other district headquarters in Nagaland have been upgraded with two-lane highways, the eastern region remains neglected and disconnected from modern infrastructure,” the memorandum stated. “This disparity has widened the developmental gap and discouraged investment in an already fragile economy.”
The chamber observed that although preliminary surveys for the two-lane project have been completed, delays in sanctioning have left the region in a continued state of underdevelopment.
The deteriorating road has escalated transport costs, disrupted trade flows, and restricted access to emergency services, affecting small-scale entrepreneurs and local industries dependent on the route, it added.
