ACAUT flays Nagaland Government’s ‘lack of commitment’ for Dimapur Railway Station

October 11, 2024 11 Views No Comment

Dimapur, October 11 (MExN): The ACAUT Nagaland today flayed the State Government for what it perceives as a lack of commitment in assisting Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) with the redevelopment of Dimapur Railway Station into a “world-class” station with an allotted fund of Rs. 283 crore.

The transformation project at the station was scheduled to begin by April 20, but due to delays in the eviction of illegal settlers by the State Government, the proposed start of the project has likely been rescheduled, maintained a press release from the ACAUT Media Cell.

The station has been deprived of development for decades despite being estimated to handle nearly ten thousand passengers both incoming and outgoing, earning the second highest revenue for the NFR, it claimed.

The ACAUT also recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone on August 6, 2023, for the ambitious redevelopment of 508 railway stations across the country at an estimated cost of Rs. 1 lakh crore.

The Dimapur railway station was among the 508 stations selected, spanning across 27 states and union territories, it added.
According to the ACAUT, the project is expected to revolutionise the passenger experience by offering modern amenities and well-designed traffic circulation.

However, this remains in abeyance as long as land is not made available for the redevelopment and expansion of railway facilities, it underscored.

Reportedly, land encroachment started decades ago, and according to NFR officials, 30.283 hectares out of 53.806 hectares of railway land is encroached in Dimapur, it added.

However, due to the Nagaland Government’s inability to evict illegal encroachers or decide on alternative arrangements with NFR to either compensate or shift the Dimapur Railway Station elsewhere towards Thahekhu Block-7 or beyond in case the expansion of the present railway station proves impossible, the ACAUT noted.

As per the release, the NFR had reportedly approached the State Government but is still awaiting the Government’s next course of action while a detailed joint survey of the encroached land has not been conducted to date.

Such inordinate delays and unavailability of land might lead NFR to cancel the project or divert the proposed development to a nearby station in Assam, the ACAUT stated.

This would reduce Dimapur station to a mere transit station, forcing the public to travel to Assam to board trains, while businesses would also need to travel to Assam for loading and unloading goods, resulting in significant losses for the people living in Nagaland, it said.

The redevelopment scheme not only aims at the convenience of passengers but will also provide hundreds of local jobs.

Unfortunately, this may become another desperate failure and loss due to the Government’s inaction, the ACAUT noted.

It is imperative for the government of the day to uphold the rule of law and deliver justice without fear or favour, it said.

Accordingly, the ACAUT Nagaland urged the Government of Nagaland to immediately begin the eviction of illegal encroachers, demolish unauthorised structures, and hand over the land to Indian Railways.