FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2025
Compensation only way for Railways to acquire land, says landowners in Dimapur
Published on Feb 14, 2025
By EMN
Share
- DIMAPUR — The Railway Affected Land Owners Association (RALOA) has stated that land compensation is the only solution to the problem presented before the Railway authorities in Dimapur.
- In a press statement issued on Friday, the association maintained that the Railways has repeatedly failed to provide any land requisition or acquisition order sought by the court.
- “The department has no locus standi to claim the ownership of land in Nagaland. Out of approximately 8 km of railway line extending between Rangapahar and Khatkati presently occupied by Railways, some areas fall under village lands (non-cadastral) and some belong to genuine pattadars (cadastral). In other words, there is no Railways land in Nagaland,” the statement read.
- It claimed that instead of exploring a viable solution “in its right perspective” to expand and upgrade the Dimapur Railway Station, the North Frontier Railways (NFR) is blaming the landowners for land encroachment, “which smells nothing short of finding ways and means to avoid paying land compensation to the genuine landowners.”
- According to the landowners, the Airport Authority, paramilitary, military, or any other central forces and departments are occupying land or executing their works either on payment of land compensation or on lease (subject to extension).
- The same yardstick, it stated, applied to the Railways, too. “Through this press release, the landowners are willing to make their stand very clear. They are not totally against giving away their land/properties. However, they are prepared to concede only at the behest of Railways agreeing to offer land compensation as per the Indian Railway Act (i.e., twice the actual land/property valuation).
- “Dimapur Railway Station has been the second-highest revenue-earning station in the Northeast, next to Guwahati Railway Station. Over the years, it has contributed immensely to the national income. Hence, payment of land compensation need not be burdensome for the concerned department. The association considers this as the only means of finding any amicable solution between the Railways and the aggrieved landowners,” it stated.
Nagaland Districts
