NTC questions delay in Dimapur-Kohima rail project

DIMAPUR, SEP 3 (NPN): Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has questioned the prolonged delay and sharp escalation in the cost of the Dimapur-Kohima (Zubza) new rail link project, urging the state government to press for expedited completion.
In a press release, NTC president C Pankathung Lotha and general secretary C Onen Walling said the project, initiated in 2006-07 with an estimated cost of Rs. 850 crore, had taken nearly two decades with less than 25% physical progress, according to a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report.
The council said the Public Accounts Committee report, tabled during the recent Parliament session on August 4, showed expenditure of Rs. 6,663.20 crore up to May 2020 — more than seven times the original estimate.
It questioned the absence of details on expenditure and progress after May 2020.
NTC cited the PAC report’s observations on changes in alignment and alleged irregularities in land acquisition and procurement of equipment. It also referred to the procurement of Digital Terrain Modelling and Digital Elevation Modelling data from the United States, which it claimed was unnecessary at that stage of the project.
The council expressed concern that despite the expenditure, no tangible progress had been achieved by August 2026. It questioned the role of successive state governments, MPs, political parties, tribal bodies and civil society organisations in monitoring the project.
NTC said the rail link would significantly improve connectivity between Dimapur and the state capital, with the journey expected to take about 40-50 minutes once operational. It said the project would reduce travel time and transportation costs while benefiting the movement of people and goods.
The council also stressed the importance of the project for Nagaland, which it said has limited rail, air and waterways connectivity beyond Dimapur.
NTC urged the state government and MPs from Nagaland to take up the matter with the competent railway authorities and ensure that the remaining construction work was expedited.
The council said stronger monitoring and follow-up were necessary to prevent further delays and cost escalation and called for the project to be completed in the shortest possible time in the interest of the public.