Chakhroma Public Organisation urges Prime Minister to order Assam Rifles to vacate AAI land blocking Dimapur Airport expansion and connectivity.
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DIMAPUR — Terming the occupation illegal and development-stalling, the Chakhroma Public Organisation has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to free Dimapur Airport land from Assam Rifles control.
In an open letter addressed to the prime minister, the CPO, the apex body representing traditional landholders of Chakhroma region in Chümoukedima district, asserted that the continued occupation of Airport Authority of India (AAI) land by the ARTC has become the principal bottleneck in the long-pending expansion and upgradation of Dimapur Airport.
Citing official records, the organisation stated that the Dimapur airfield was formally handed over by the Indian Air Force to the then National Airports Authority in 1987, establishing clear administrative ownership for civil aviation.
It maintained that the ARTC’s presence on the land was only meant to be temporary and has no legal standing.
Underscoring ancestral land rights, the CPO stated that Chakhroma people have historically cooperated with national infrastructure projects in the larger interest of Nagaland’s development.
Also read: Tenyimi Union Nagaland supports plea regarding ARTC occupation of Dimapur Airport land
It pointed out that the public had already facilitated the removal of private encroachments to enable Phase-I of the airport’s master plan, and questioned why a paramilitary force continues to occupy land critical to the state’s only airport.
The organisation alleged that the ARTC’s demand for INR 16 crore as compensation for abandoned and dilapidated “ghost buildings” has stalled the project, despite an alternative and fully functional facility having been provided to the Assam Rifles at Shokhuvi.
Linking the issue to the Centre’s ‘Act East’ policy, the CPO stated that the stagnation of Dimapur Airport undermines the connectivity pillar of the initiative.
It reminded that lack of land has prevented runway extension and installation of vital safety infrastructure such as the Runway End Safety Area.
The CPO appealed to the prime minister to direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to issue a time-bound order to the ARTC to vacate 18.8 acres earmarked under Phase-I, as well as the remaining 148 acres, without further delay.
It expressed hope that Nagaland would not be deprived of development and trade opportunities due to delays in upgrading its only air gateway.