Dimapur, September 6 : The Aoyimti village council, in Dimapur, has requested the airport authorities to withdraw a ‘letter’ that was stated to have ‘nullified extension of the Dimapur airport’ if at all ‘fruitful dialogue’ has to continue.
The council has stated that the public of the area has taken into consideration the circumstances and have “resolved not to part with their land in view of lackadaisical attitude of the responsible authorities towards the extension of Dimapur airport.”
A copy of a representation from the community was received here on Tuesday stating updates of a “Aoyimti general public emergency meeting.”
The village council said to have requested vide letter dated 14-04-16, prayed before your esteemed authority to withdraw the earlier letter dated 28-11-09, issued by your competent authority whereby the entire exercises with regard to extension of Dimapur Airport was nullified.
“Therefore, in order to resume fruitful dialogue with regard to proposed extension of Dimapur Airport the undersigned village appealed before the authority concerned to revoke the earlier letter dated 28-11-09,” the council stated.
According to the village, the council had approached the authority to “ascertain the status” of the letter. “Thereon, surprisingly it was revealed that the letter dated 14-04-16, written by the undersigned village council for revocation of earlier letter dated 28-11-09 was not endorsed to you by your subordinates.”
The village said to have convene a meeting on August 6. During the meeting, the public of the area “reviewed the earlier occasion wherein the undersigned village council had convened numerous public meetings to hammer out the desired shape.”
“Hectic knee-jerk arrangements were made for various departments to execute the assigned works within the stipulated time framed and in the process colossal amount of money has been invested by the undersigned village while desperately trying to fulfill the directives issued by the Government from time to time.”
Besides that, the representation stated, having full faith in the assurance of the authorities, bank accounts were opened for financial transactions; some families even shifted out to other locations; some purchased land from borrowed amount even while “more ironically the entire developmental activities in the undersigned village were totally paralyzed in view of the proposed airport extension.”
Also, the council stated that the rate of compensation for land at the rate of Rs. 450 per square feet was ‘too exorbitant and the scope of expansion of the airport was also hindered by the presence of National Highway 39 just in front of the airport and also the presence of several petrol pumps near the airport.’
Therefore, the members decided to shift the Airport to a more suitable site in future."
“Meaning thereby, the presence of National Highway 39 and the petrol pumps in and around Dimapur airport were not at all aware of, by the district administration is utter surprising. Further, the much negotiated rate of land compensation at Rs. 450 against Rs. 600 per sq ft. is the offer made by the authority concerned and accordingly the same was accepted by the landowners vide letter dated 16-10-09 and as such the question of exorbitant does not at all arise as the same has been fixed by the competent authority at their own convenient.”
The representation lamented that the “tireless efforts, countless sacrifices and immense co-operation advanced by the undersigned village were crucified in the letter dated 28-11-2009.”
Therefore, the council appealed to the authorities to revoke the letter “dated 28-11-2009” in order to ‘resume fruitful dialogue.’
