Encroachment by 614 families on railway land has stalled the INR 283 crore Dimapur Railway Station redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
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KOHIMA — Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday said that although Dimapur Railway Station has been selected under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) for development into a world-class facility with an allocation of INR 283 crore, land could not be made available for the project.
The chief minister was replying to a query raised by MLA Nuklutoshi on the floor of the House during the Assembly session on Monday.
Rio said that developmental activities in Nagaland are often delayed due to land-related issues, and the case of Dimapur Railway Station is one such example.
However, he stressed that the station is important for the state and should not be allowed to suffer due to the dispute.
He pointed out that Dimapur Railway Station was inaugurated in 1903, prior to Nagaland attaining statehood and before Article 371A came into force.
At that time, the railways had occupied and measured the land for the station.
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Over the years, however, encroachments occurred while the railways remained silent, and later administrative authorities also issued land pattas in the area, he said.
Rio assured that the state government would take up the issue of encroachment at Dimapur Railway Station with the railways and ensure that landowners receive “some compensation”.
However, he said that the compensation should not be “at double rate” as reportedly demanded by the landowners. He suggested holding discussions with railway authorities to reach an amicable settlement.
Minister-in-charge for Transport P Paiwang Konyak informed the House that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the state government and the department are taking steps to assess the issues and resolve them at the earliest.
He informed that the station is the second-highest revenue-earning station in the Northeast.
Konyak said that the department, the government and the district administration conducted a survey in December 2025 and informed the NFR that landowners were willing to part with the land on the condition that compensation be paid both for the land and the structures—reportedly twice the actual land cost.
The landowners have also written to the Ministry of Railways, and a response is awaited. Once a reply is received, the department will take up the matter with the state government, he said.
Responding further to Nuklutoshi’s query on the status of the modernisation of Dimapur Railway Station, Konyak said that the master plan for the project was approved on January 11, 2024, and work commenced on July 27, 2025.
He informed that construction has begun on parcels of land that are under the undisputed possession of the railways.
The work has been awarded by the NFR to M/s AR Joint Venture, a joint venture of M/s ABCI Infrastructures Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Ramacivil India Construction Pvt. Ltd., Guwahati.
He added that foundation work is currently underway for two staff-quarter towers and an office building, while the Relay Battery Generator (RBG) building foundation has been completed.
Raising concerns during the discussion, MLA Nuklutoshi said that the issue has become a “non-stop” blame game, with railway authorities blaming the government, the government blaming landowners and encroachers, and encroachers blaming the administration for issuing land pattas.
He described the situation as a result of “prolonged negligence” by the NFR and questioned why the railway authorities had not lodged formal complaints earlier regarding the encroachments.
According to the MLA, 614 families are illegally occupying encroached railway land, most of whom are non-Nagas.
Out of 53.806 hectares of railway land, about 30.283 hectares have been encroached upon, with around 1,100 illegal structures, including houses, shops, buildings and schools, he said.
He added that there are three possible options to address the issue: the state government paying about INR 132 crore for a resettlement plan, carrying out forceful eviction, or shifting the railway station to a new location.