When consistency matters

The prolonged delay in the development of Dimapur airport has once again exposed the inability of the institutions (state and central) to act in coordination even when national interest and public good are clearly at stake. At the heart of the impasse lies the failure to hand over 18.8 acres currently under the occupation of the Assam Rifles Training Centre (ARTC) to the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Until this bottleneck is cleared, Phase-I of the airport expansion cannot even take off, casting a long shadow over the entire `400-crore project envisaged to be completed in three phases within three years from 2024. The Assam Rifles has already been allotted alternative land at Shokhuvi village in Chümoukedima district, where a new training centre and school have been constructed and are now fully operational. Yet, out of the original 147 acres, 18.8 acres remain un-transferred, holding hostage critical infrastructure work that is central to Nagaland’s economic future. The ARTC is demanding Rs.16 crore for some of the buildings in the occupied area. A joint inspection reportedly found the buildings constructed in the 70s to be dilapidated and unoccupied. Shockingly, the estimates were prepared as per 2023–24 Schedule of Rate. This raises serious questions about due diligence, fiscal prudence and intent. A high level meeting was held to resolve the issue May last year. The Assam Rifles expressed willingness to vacate the land but wanted compensation. However, it was pointed out that this was a book transfer between two central government entities-the Assam Rifles and the AAI and so the question of structural compensation does not arise. The ball, therefore, squarely lies in the MHA’s court to issue the necessary clearance for immediate handover. The state government had also cleared the handover of 17.9 acres through legal means and cleared it of encroachers and handed it to the AAI. Decades later, the cost of neglect is evident. These actions underline the uncomfortable truth that the present deadlock is less about impossibility and more about institutional inertia. Consistent reporting by Nagaland Post since 1991 has played a catalytic role in bringing sustained attention to the issue. Over the years, the newspaper has highlighted not only land encroachment but also poor drainage, flight cancellations, inadequate services and the broader stagnation of air connectivity. Engagements with former Lok Sabha MPs from 1991 to 1998 was a time when Dimapur saw tangible progress in rail and air connectivity-the introduction of the Jan Shatabdi in 1996, followed by BG Express and Nagaland Express, and even a special Kolkata–Dimapur flight that later became unviable due to operational mismanagement. Civil society organisations in Dimapur and beyond have now amplified these concerns, signalling a maturing public awareness. This is significant as Dimapur airport, one of the old World War II airfields, began civilian operations in 1972 but never realised its full potential due to encroachments by both civilians and security forces. The present moment must serve as a turning point. Airports are not mere transit points; they are engines of economic growth, investment and integration. Safeguarding and developing such public assets is a shared responsibility. If awareness has finally reached a critical mass, it must now translate into decisive action-by the state government, by central ministries, and by institutions entrusted with national security-to ensure that Dimapur airport is no longer a symbol of missed opportunities, but of collective resolve and progress.