The transformation of Nagaland’s century-old Dimapur railway station into a world-class facility is facing delays, primarily attributed to land encroachment issues, as stated by a senior official from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
According to NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Srivastava, any development project necessitates adequate space, but progress has been hindered due to encroachments on railway land in Dimapur.
Despite the allocation of Rs 280 crore by the central government for the station’s enhancement, the execution has been postponed due to these land-related challenges, Srivastava explained. He appealed cooperation from all stakeholders to facilitate unimpeded development.
Centre wants all Northeast capitals connected by rail
Srivastava further noted that the railway authorities had communicated the issue of land encroachment to the Nagaland government, expressing appreciation for the state’s positive response in establishing a high-power committee to investigate the matter and provide a report. He also revealed the ambitious plan to connect Nagaland’s capital, Kohima, to the railway network by 2026, aligning with the central government’s initiative to link all northeastern state capitals with railways.
Prem Ranjan Kumar, NFR’s DRM Lumding, emphasised the need for identifying encroachers through proper document verification before initiating eviction procedures, which would require cooperation from the state government. While the railways have a clear eviction plan for illegal settlers, they rely on the state government’s assistance for its execution.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the century-old Dimapur Railway Station on August 6, as part of the nationwide ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme,’ which aims to modernize 508 railway stations, including 56 in the northeast region.