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DIMAPUR — The Railway Contractors' Union Nagaland (RCUN) has stated that due to the rampant and illegal encroachments and constructions done on railway land, the development of Dimapur Railway Station as envisaged under the Amrit Bharat Scheme is filled with a lot of scepticism and doubt.
In a press release, the union said that it is especially due to the inability of the railways and the district authorities of Dimapur to evict the illegal encroachers despite clear directives and notice from the Lumding divisional headquarters.
The union noted 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. Consequently, 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 read.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]RCUN called upon the concerned authorities, including the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) and the 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 Unauthorised Occupants) Act 1971.
However, it also maintained that such an action must be taken only after due compensation is given to the genuinely affected patta holders and demanded the immediate arrest and fair trial of those officials who have been directly or indirectly involved in the issue of illegal pattas to the encroachers.
The union also requested that the general public learn how to respect and take care of public property, including those of railways, and not resort to such unmindful and shameful acts.
It appealed to the concerned civic bodies, village and 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.
RCUN further urged the NFR to immediately re-deploy the Nagaland Express, B.G. Express, and Jan Shatabdi Express trains, which actually originated from Dimapur Railway Station before being ‘hijacked to Assam for ulterior reasons’. Also, it requested the NFR to increase the ticket quotas for passengers boarding at Dimapur so that the people of the state can get the maximum benefit out of the redevelopment process.