Centre sanctions Rs 2440 crores for the dream project, LRS department yet to take up final detail assessment
Neidilhoutuo Sechü
DIMAPUR, July 26
[highlight]E[/highlight]ven after three rounds of surveys, the issue of land acquisition remains to be the major hurdle for delaying the execution of Dimapur-Zubza rail link, a dream project for Nagaland.
Though the government had preliminary round of consultation with the landowners of the villages beyond Chumukedima, and till Zubza, it was learnt that the government is yet to have the final agreement with the landowners of a small stretch of plain areas between Dhansiripar and Chumukedima, which is the latest revised route.The re-survey of the revised route from Dhansiri (Assam) to Chumukedima (Nagaland) was undertaken by the railway engineers in May this year, and it remains to be seen whether the revised route will be approved or not. A detail survey of land assessment is yet to be carried out by the District Land Records and Survey department, and a final meeting with the landowners is awaited. With the revised route, now the last station has moved away from Dimapur to Dhansiri in Assam.
It may be mentioned that this was the 3rd survey carried out between Dimapur and Chumukedima since the viability of Dimapur-Zubza railway link was first surveyed in 2009. After the first survey, it was reported that the 88.40 km new broad-gauge line would require a total of 911 hectares of land, including 5.09 ha of forest land. As many as 46 major bridges and 24 tunnels were proposed for the entire length.
The new link will take railway connectivity very close to Kohima, the state capital. At present, Dimapur is the only railway-head in Nagaland.
As per the first survey, the line was passing through Toulazouma-Thilixu-Sovima-Singrijan-Tenyiphe-Virazouma-Chumukedima, and was objected as it was traversing through densely populated areas and some land owners were reluctant to part with their lands. The second survey was rejected by the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment as it was passing through Nagaland Zoological Park near Rangapahar.
Sources said, after the second survey, the land acquisition issue was almost solved, and even big companies from outside the state had come to bid for tenders. But, the proposal got derailed because of strong opposition by the Ministry of Forest and Environment.
Talking to Eastern Mirror, Deputy Chief Engineer, Construction Wing of Railway in Dimapur, Ranjit Das said the works for the project will commence immediately after the land acquisition issue is resolved.
On the proposal by the state government to extend the railway link up to Thizama village, via Cheswma (Tsiesema)-Keruma (Zhadima), Das said his department had completed the alignment till Thizama station. Disclosing that the centre has already sanctioned Rs 2,440 crores for the project, apart from the earlier sanctioned amount of Rs 850 crores, for the rail link between Dimapur and Zubza, he said further extension would require additional budget allocation if the link is to be extended up to Thizama.
The revised route from Dhansiri to Zubza is 90 km (approx), with two main stations in Molvom and Zubza and six sub-stations in Dhansiripar, Sakhavi (Sukhavi) Khaibung, Pherima, Khabvüma I (Menguzouma village) and Khabvüma II. The distances between the stations will be 5 to 15 kms, Das said.
Even after the railway engineers completed the third round of survey two months back, the state department of Land Records and Survey (LRS) is yet to undertake the final detail assessment survey. Azo Chakhesang, the district LRS officer based in Dimapur said no fund has been sanctioned separately to his department for the job.
The LRS officer claimed to have written to the District administration and verbally communicated the Railway officials for funds to undertake the final detail assessment survey. He said the LRS department will have to incur miscellaneous expenditures to undertake the survey.
“Our team will have to camp at Dhansiripar to undertake the survey, and would need jungle cutting.
How can we undertake the job without money,” the officer said, adding that the department would also need to pay travelling expenses and daily allowance to the team members.
Interestingly, the officials in the railway ministry claimed that they did not receive any letter from the LRS department or the district administration on the fund requirements. “We also did not get any letter from the state Transport department, which is the nodal agency for the project,” Das claimed.
Unfortunately, while land acquisition is a major hurdle, the bureaucratic conflict between the officials of the railway ministry and the state government has further delayed the process of implementation of the dream railway project of Nagaland.
