Railway landowners in Dimapur demand compensation, reject “no man’s land” claim, and question Railways’ land ownership records
Share
DIMAPUR — The Railway Affected Landowners Association (RALOA) on Wednesday rejected claims that Dimapur railway land is a “no man’s land” and reiterated its demand for compensation for both land and structures affected by the Dimapur Railway Station redevelopment project.
Addressing the media after its sixth general body meeting in Dimapur, the association also alleged that the Railways has no land records for the area and said it plans to approach the Railway Minister before May 20 over the issue.
The meeting was held hours after the Railway Land Patta Holders’ Union declined to attend the consultative meeting convened by the Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) on the proposed upgradation of Dimapur Railway Station into a world-class station under the INR 283-crore Amrit Bharat Scheme.
RALOA president Khekaho Assumi maintained that the association was not opposed to the railway station project but insisted that affected landowners must be compensated for both land and structures.
“We want a world-class railway station, maybe more than the Naga Council. But the land and buildings belong to us, not to the Naga Council,” he said.
Rejecting the NCD’s claim that Dimapur is a “no man’s land”, Assumi asserted that the land belongs to the people of Nagaland and is protected under Article 371A of the Indian Constitution.
Related: Race against time: Dimapur CSOs push to save railway project
The association also accused the NCD of interfering in the issue and suggested that the council should instead function as a pressure group.
Clarifying the association’s stand on compensation, Assumi said RALOA was prepared to be reasonable but expected payment in accordance with provisions under the Railway Act. He argued that compensation for both land and structures was standard practice in development projects across the country and should be applied in Nagaland as well.
On scrutiny of pattas in Blocks 6 and 7, the areas affected by the project, he said the association had screened 397 pattas, of which 205 were found genuine. He dismissed claims that 900 pattas would create a compensation burden of INR 20–30 crore as incorrect.
WATCH MORE:
According to him, many pattas were “perhaps fake” and a “sizable majority” had been issued by GBs or councils. He also claimed that the deputy commissioner’s list of 96 pattas covered only buildings and structures, with final verification pending government approval.
“The administration is smart enough to screen out which is genuine,” he said.
Assumi said the association has been in constant touch with the state government and informed that the proposal concerning the issue has already been forwarded to Delhi for further action.
He added that the association plans to meet the Railway Minister before May 20, recalling that during a previous meeting last year, the minister had assured protection of Naga rights.
On the possibility of talks with the NCD after refusing to attend the council’s consultative meeting, Assumi said the association was “not averse” to meeting the council but cited two sticking points — the “no man’s land” remark and what he described as “disrespect in communication.”
Referring to the meeting held by the NCD and other groups on May 6, he said the council should have first consulted the affected landowners before making public statements.
“Before their press briefing, they should have met us, taken our views too,” he said, adding that such actions undermined the landowners’ position. He further claimed that nearly 80% of landowners in the area have no structures and were being unfairly grouped together with encroachers.
Chief advisor of the association Hokavi Zhimomi dismissed concerns raised by the NCD that the railway project could be shifted elsewhere if land issues remain unresolved. “Work is in full swing where there is no land dispute. So there is no question of taking the project away now,” he said.
Claiming that the Railways has no land records for the area, Zhimomi said the association had filed RTIs seeking dag numbers and patta numbers related to railway land in Dimapur.
“They could not give an answer. They don’t have any. It is just occupation only,” he alleged.
According to him, the only document produced by the Railways was a 1965 “sketch map” prepared by the department itself and not issued by the state government or villages.
“It is an imaginary sketch map. From where did they get the land? It is Naga land. They did not bring land from Mumbai or Delhi,” he said, adding that there was no record of land requisition or acquisition by the Railways.
Citing Article 371A, he maintained that land in Nagaland belongs to the people and that village authorities remain the sole land authority in village areas.
Responding to the NCD’s argument that the Railways has existed in Dimapur since 1904, he said passenger train services began much later.
“Till 1970 there was no passenger train. Only a small track for maal (goods) trains. In 1904 British were ruling India. But Nagas were living here. So who is encroaching on whose land? They are the ones encroaching on our land. Calling us illegal encroachers is lousy when they have no documents,” he said.