Dimapur, June 15 (MExN): The Nagaland Tree Planters’ Association (NTPA) has called on the state government to take immediate action against encroachment on railway-compensated land in and around Dimapur Railway Station, following the recent eviction drive at Diphupar to reclaim encroached airport land.
In a statement issued on June 15, the NTPA commended the state for its “bold and commendable action” at Diphupar and said it should now extend the same resolve to tackle long-standing encroachments near the railway station.
“It is a matter of public record that a large swathe of railway-compensated land has been illegally occupied by private individuals and businesses,” the association said, pointing to unauthorized commercial buildings, petrol pumps, and religious structures that have come up on land reserved for public infrastructure.
While reaffirming its respect for all faiths, the NTPA said that “the law must remain supreme” and called for the dismantling of unauthorized structures, including religious institutions, on compensated railway land.
The group also expressed alarm over the disappearance of the former railway loading point near the old Dimapur Town Committee office, a facility it said had historical and strategic importance in regional goods transport during the 1980s and 1990s. With the Dimapur Railway Station set for major upgrades, the NTPA said the urgency to reclaim every inch of encroached land “cannot be overstated.” It urged the government to launch a “comprehensive, impartial and time-bound eviction drive” targeting all illegal constructions on railway land.
