NTPA urges govt to clear land at Dmu Rly Station

Nagaland Tree Planters’ Association (NTPA) has called for the government immediate intervention in addressing the long-neglected but pressing issue of land encroachment in and around Dimapur railway station.
The association in a statement said it was a matter of public record that a large swathe of railway-compensated land had been illegally occupied by private individuals and businesses. Multi-storey buildings, commercial godowns, petrol pumps, and other unauthorized constructions had steadily encroached upon critical railway infrastructure space, undermining not just development plans but the very integrity of public assets.
According to NTPA, the construction of religious structures, including entire institutions on land already compensated for railway use, was further compounding the issue. While reiterating its unwavering respect for all religions, the association stressed that the law must remain supreme.
Maintaining that public land, especially land compensated and demarcated for infrastructure, could not and must not be held hostage to unauthorised religious or commercial use, the association demanded that these structures must be vacated or dismantled without delay, as per the law. It also expressed grave concern over the encroachment and complete disappearance of the former railway loading point near the erstwhile Dimapur Town Committee office, which also historically connected the present army depot.
Recalling that the site was actively used during the 1980s and 1990s for loading of public goods and that it played a vital role in regional transportation, the association pointed out that the loss of this infrastructure was not merely a matter of local interest but represented the erosion of a strategic national asset. With the Dimapur railway station poised for major up gradation to a first-class station, the association said the urgency to reclaim every inch of encroached land could not be overstated.
Highlighting that the time to act was now, the NTPA demanded that the Government of Nagaland initiate a comprehensive, impartial and time-bound eviction drive targeting all illegal constructions on railway-compensated land and adjacent public property.
The association clarified that the appeal transcended politics, religion, or regional bias, adding that it was a call to uphold justice, accountability, and the rightful use of public resources. It stressed that the future of the infrastructure, environment, and shared progress must not be sacrificed to vested interests and unlawful occupation.
Strongly commending the state government for its bold and commendable action in conducting the recent eviction drive at Diphupar to reclaim encroached airport land, the association maintained that the decisive move had sent a clear message that the rule of law would not be compromised and that public infrastructure would be safeguarded against unlawful occupation.
The NTPA emphasised that the people of Nagaland and Dimapur deserved better, and that the law deserved to be enforced without fear or favour.