The Railway Affected Land Owners’ Association (RALOA) has reiterated that the land owners were ready to part with their land, but only if the railways agreed to offer compensation as per Indian Railways Act, which was twice the actual land/property valuation.
In a press release, RALOA convener Khekaho Assumi, and administration & media cell general secretary Hetokhu Awomi said as the Dimapur railway station was the second-highest revenue earning station in the Northeast after Guwahati railway station, and as it had contributed immensely to the national income, payment of land compensation need not be burdensome for the railways.
They mentioned that they considered this as the only means of finding any amicable solution between the railways and the aggrieved land owners. They also clarified that they were not totally against giving away their lands/properties for railway infrastructure development.
Since the creation of Nagaland in 1963 to date, they said neither the railways nor the landowners or the state government felt the necessity to make an agreement pertaining to the land issue. Hence, the railways had repeatedly failed to provide any land requisition or acquisition order sought by the court.
Declaring that the railways had no locus standi to claim land ownership in Nagaland, they claimed that out of the approximately 8 km of railway line between Rangapahar and Khatkati presently, some areas fell under village lands (non-cadastral) and some to genuine pattadars (cadastral). Thus, they maintained that there was no railway land in Nagaland.
Now, with the modernisation of Indian Railways, Dimapur railway station too was at the threshold of upgradation.
But, instead of exploring viable solution in its right perspective, the RALOA leaders accused the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) of squarely blaming landowners for land encroachment, which they termed as nothing short of finding ways and means to avoid paying land compensation to the genuine landowners. Besides, they said few individuals, leaders and public were also raising their voices without ascertaining the bare facts.
They claimed that the airport authority, military, para-military, and other central forces and departments were occupying land or executing works either on the payment of land compensation or on lease basis (subject to extension of lease period).
They said the same yard stick applied to the railways too as there was no railway land in Nagaland, pointing out that even the current airport at Kohima and the railway project to Zubza (Sechu) could be carried out only after the payment of due compensation to the land owners.
They said they deemed it necessary to bring the facts to the public domain for setting the record right and clarify any misgivings. Reaffirming that they firmly stood for creating a conducive atmosphere among the railways, state administration and genuine landowners, they declared that they would spare no efforts to find an early solution to the land issue so that the railways could be enabled to carry out the upgradation and expansion work without further hindrance.
In order to protect the rights of Nagas and to preserve their distinct identity, they said Article 371(A) was incorporated in the Constitution of India, wherein it was clearly and vividly written that the land and its resources belonged to the people.
Moreover, they mentioned that it was also mentioned that no Act of Indian Parliament would apply to Nagaland until and unless the Nagaland Legislative Assembly decided to approve and enact the law.