Work out action plan to evict encroachers from Dimapur Railway land: RCUN

August 12, 2023 330 Views No Comment

DIMAPUR, AUGUST 12 (MExN): The Railway Contractors Union Nagaland (RCUN) has said that the launching of the Amrit Bharat Scheme for revamping of 508 Railway Stations across the country, including the Dimapur Railway Station, is a big leap towards the economic development of Nagaland and the nearby states and therefore should be welcomed with optimism and open arms by all and sundry.

Dimapur Railway Station has become the major rail head of Nagaland and it is the highest rail per-capita revenue earning Railway Station under the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) in the entire North-Eastern Region. Due to the initiatives taken by the centre, the Dimapur Railway Station has been earmarked to be transformed into a world class railway station. This will result in the overall growth in economic opportunities for the citizens of Nagaland as a whole.

However, the RCUN expressed worry that due to the rampant and illegal encroachments and constructions done on Railway land, the development as envisaged under the Amrit Bharat Scheme is filled with lot of skepticism and doubts especially due to the inability of the Railway department and the Dimapur district administration to evict the illegal encroachers despite clear directives and notice from the Lumding Divisional Headquarters.

It highlighted that under Chapter-VIII A of the Railway Act of 1989, there should be adequate demarcation and distance from all railway property including railway tracks and no encroachment or construction should be done anywhere near the railway properties.

This rule has been blatantly flouted by subsequent administrations for a long period of time, the RCUN has alleged as a result of which, the fate of the Dimapur Railway Station as a world class railway station hangs in thin balance.

If proper corrective measures are not put into action immediately, we may permanently lose this golden opportunity of putting Dimapur on the map of development, it apprehended.

Towards this, the RCUN has fervently called upon the NFR and the Dimapur district administration to collectively work out an elaborate plan of action to evict the illegal encroachers immediately under the provisions of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act 1971.

However, such an action must be taken only after due compensation is given to the genuinely affected patta holders, it added. The RCUN also demanded the immediate arrest and fair trial of those government administrative officials who have been directly or indirectly involved in the issue of illegal pattas to the encroachers.

The RCUN also requested the general public to learn how to respect and take care of public property including Railway property and not resort to such unmindful and shameful acts of illegal encroachments and constructions whereby not only is the development of the Railway Station and Dimapur as a whole is at stake but the life of people are also put into jeopardy and peril.

It also appealed the concerned civic bodies, village/colony councils, GBs and public leaders to ensure that such illegal practices are checked for the greater benefit of the public because if the Railways develop the entire state and nation will develop as Railway is the backbone of our economy.

The RCUN, meanwhile, urged upon the NFR to immediately re-deploy the Nagaland Express, BG Express and Jan Shatabdi Express trains which actually originated from Dimapur Railway Station before being “hijacked to Assam for ulterior reasons.” It also requested the NFR to increase the ticket quotas for passengers boarding at Dimapur so that the people of the State can get maximum benefit out of the redevelopment process.