Dimapur, July 19 (MExN): The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) on Tuesday urged the State Government to review the allegations made by the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) with regard to land encroachment.
In a press release, the DNSU referred to a news report published in the local media, and said that the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), NFR Lumding division, had alleged that 30.283 hectare out of 53.806 hectare had been infringed, and lamented the unsatisfactory assistance received from the State Government both in the demarcation of land boundaries and removal of encroachers from the Railway land.
In this connection, the DNSU sought a response from the government as to whether the allegations made by NFR were true and also questioned why it has not responded to the NFR yet.
“As per allegations made by the NFR regarding Railway land encroachment, DNSU demands the concerned officers involved in issuing random land pattas to be suspended and disclose whoever is responsible for such blunders.
The Union also reminds all concerned that the said land is not a ‘personal property’ and therefore, no officer has the authority to sell or issue land pattas for his/her personal interest,” the release stated.
The DNSU also supported the statement given by Dimapur constituency MLAs to set up an “Inquiry committee” to verify the allegations made by NFR.
Meanwhile, the DNSU questioned the NFR on why the matter was not brought to the public domain, stating that “Ignorance of such pertinent issues being neglected by all stakeholders is questionable and the Union demands transparent explanations regarding this entity.”
It also stated that the railways serve as the lifeline for almost 90% of the student community studying outside the state, and that it had received multiple complaints as the sole Train Terminal in Dimapur has now been shifted somewhere else. “To make it worse, even the only Nagaland Express has lost its space in Dimapur as it had been hijacked by the NFR's decision to do so, and therefore, the Union urges the State Government to bring it back to where it belongs because it is high time that the government act reasonably,” it asserted.
While stating that it is the responsibility of the State Government to value and hold on to the things that belong to the State and its habitats, the DNSU lamented that the stakeholders have forgotten their responsibility towards legislating policies and procedures for the welfare and the future of the younger generation.
“The Union appeals for immediate review of this issue and we will demand translucency on this matter until favourable decisions are made by the State Government and the NFR,” it added.
