Launching of double-lane modular steel bridge over Sungkatchu River along the Foothill Road in Baghty. Photo Courtesy: Nagaland PWD (R&B)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 10
On April 9, the Nagaland Public Works Department (Roads & Bridges) issued a public statement countering claims raised by the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) regarding the Nagaland Foothills Road construction. Among the point-by-point disclaimers was one where the Department denied it received “administrative approval” from the state government for Rs 400 crore in 2024 for the second phase of the foothill road project.
The NFHRCC had claimed that the PWD (Roads & Bridges) had received approval worth over Rs 430 crore for the second phase in 2024. It made the claim at a press conference on April 6 in Dimapur, while warning of blockading the office of the PWD (R&B), Dimapur Division, beginning April 15, until the government issued the work orders for the second phase.
“The Department is not aware of such Administrative Approval having been accorded by the Government,” was the PWD (Roads & Bridges) one line retort to the NFHRCC’s claim. The denial has now come under scrutiny.
The NFHRCC issued a press release on April 10 citing an official communication from the government to the department in March 2024. According to the committee, “administrative approval amounting to Rs 43077.84 lakh” was issued by the Additional Secretary to the Government of Nagaland on March 15, 2024 to the Chief Engineer, PWD (Road &Bridges). It backed up the claim by citing a letter— “No. WH/R&B-75/2013-14/Foothill Dated, Kohima, 15th March, 2024 addressed to the Chief Engineer, PWD (Road &Bridges).” It asserted that the letter conveyed the “Revised Administrative Approval for the Foothill Road” at an estimated cost of Rs 43077.84 lakh (Rs 430.77 crore).
The NFHRCC said that the 2024 letter explicitly mentions the “approval of the Minister (R&B), Nagaland.” It termed the Department “bluntly” denying the existence of the “Administrative Approval for the Foothills Road Project was nothing short of betraying the people of Nagaland”. “Ill-constructed and misleading” was how it described the denial.
The March 15 administrative approval letter, a copy of which was accessed by The Morung Express, referred an earlier letter— “No. CE(R&B)/FOOT HILL ROAD 2013-14/Pt-II/992-93 dated 14th March 2024.”
The committee further alleged that the Department was attempting to hide “government failures to provide requisite funds” by "educating" the public on technicalities rather than delivering on signed commitments.
The NFHRCC further provided a chronological breakdown of the project funding trajectory— Rs 148.50 crore under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme, an administrative approval for a single lane amounting to Rs 191.3863 crore on February 12, 2024, and finally, the ‘Revised Administrative Approval’ for a double lane up to WBM/WMM for Rs 430.7784 crore on March 15, 2024.
PWD (R&B) does a foot in mouth
Subsequent to the NFHRCC statement, the PWD (Roads & Bridges) issued a ‘Corrigendum’ late on April 10 with regard to the response the latter issued to the claims raised by the NFHRCC. The Department stated that its previous denial of the Rs 430 crore administrative approval for the Foothill Road project was “made inadvertently and without any malafide intention.” It claimed that while approval was accorded in March 2024, it was “never sanctioned and has since become infructuous."
The department clarified that the Rs 148.50 crore sanctioned under SASCI in July 2024 remains the only financial basis for the ongoing Foothill Road project. While expressing regret, the department said it “acknowledges and appreciates the suggestions and continued support” provided by the NFHRCC.
