Dimapur, February 6 (MExN): Nagaland Lok Sabha member S Supongmeren Jamir has formally taken up with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, the long-pending issue concerning the ownership and transfer of land currently occupied by the Assam Rifles Training Centre & School (ARTC&S), Dimapur, which is crucial for the expansion of Dimapur Airport.
Dimapur Airport, being the only airport in Nagaland, plays a vital role in the state’s connectivity, economic development, emergency services, and overall growth. However, its expansion has remained stalled for over a decade due to land constraints, he highlighted.
In his communication to the MHA, the MP cited multiple official records confirming that 392.72 acres of Dimapur Airfield land was formally handed over by the Indian Air Force to the National Airports Authority (now Airports Authority of India – AAI) with effect from September 1, 1987.
“This transfer is supported by Handing over/taking over reports, Letters from the Defence Estates Officer (DEO), Jorhat Circle, Government of India communications from 1990 and 1991, and Extracts from the Military Land Register,” it stated.
He stated that a Joint Survey and Verification Report dated 29.02.2024 has established that 148.58 acres of land, which forms part of the said 392.72 acres transferred to AAI, is currently under occupation of Assam Rifles ARTC&S Dimapur.
Further, historical defence records indicate that land allotted to Assam Rifles in the vicinity of Dimapur Airfield in the early 1960s was on a temporary basis, and that Assam Rifles has already been allotted other lands in Nagaland for its training establishments, Jamir claimed.
He further highlighted that AAI Dimapur Airport has already submitted Master Plans (1 & 2) to the Government of Nagaland for Construction of a new terminal building, Expansion of parking bays, and Upgradation of facilities. “These developments require the land presently under Assam Rifles’ occupation. Due to non-availability of land, essential expansion works cannot proceed, and the existing airport infrastructure continues to face serious safety and security limitations.”
In light of the documentary evidence, Jamir has urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to issue necessary instructions for handing over the 148.58 acres of land presently occupied by Assam Rifles ARTC&S Dimapur to AAI Dimapur Airport, in accordance with established records, so that long-overdue expansion and modernization of Dimapur Airport can proceed in the larger public interest.
The MP emphasised that the issue is not merely administrative, but directly linked to the development, connectivity, and future growth of Nagaland, and called for urgent and coordinated action by the concerned central authorities.
