Morung Express News
Dimapur| August 12
Even as the targeted date set for Dimapur- Zubza rail project completion is nearing, there is still no sign of progress over land acquisition. According to the latest report, the Nagaland government has been asked to bring down land costs to a reasonable basis. It has been reported that the land rates given by the Nagaland government to the railways is exceedingly high and would put the project out of circulation. The railways would soon inform the Nagaland government of the compensation rates being paid by it in other states of the region, it has been reported. But Nagaland government has denied it has received any information in this regard.
The Dimapur and Kohima district administrations, negotiating on behalf of the government, have not received any kind of information about bringing down the rates after the last sitting with railway officials in May this year. The Dimapur district administration said that it has not received any news of ‘accepting’ or ‘rejecting’ the land compensation rates. In fact, recently the government had recently written to the railway about the matter but there has been no reply, the administration said.
The Railway Ministry has cited that the financial health of the NF Railway is not good. The Ministry has said that railway investment in the north east region since 2005-06 has been Rs 5,684.90 crore. But due to problems of militancy, poor accessibility and exorbitant land compensation rates (in case of Nagaland), the railway is spending more than it is earning. The provision for land acquisition cost for the Zubza project is Rs.22.26 crores but the amount projected by the state government is over 100 crore, it was reported.
The completion date for Zubza rail is set for March 2014 but the ground work is yet to begin. Two years have elapsed on negotiations with land owners over the land compensation rates. Earlier the Nagaland Cabinet had opted out for an alternative proposal due to high compensation rates. But it then considered renegotiating with the land owners. After numerous meetings with the Dimapur district administration, land owners of Dimapur and Chumukedima agreed upon a fixed rate of Rs.60 per square feet. Later in May, compensation for the hill section was also discussed.
(With agency input)
