By Imkong Walling
Dimapur is reported to be the second highest revenue-earner in the northeast for the Northeast Frontier Railway, second only to Guwahati. Despite this distinction, the Dimapur station continues to struggle, unable to upgrade or expand, hemmed in on both sides by structures built on allegedly encroached land. As claimed by the railways, more than a half of the over 53 hectares of land for the Dimapur railway station is today encroached or illegally occupied.
Barring the ones without documentation, over 200 land deeds were alleged to have been issued over the years. The title-holders have contested this claim, maintaining that the deeds bear the sanction of the Nagaland state government. In addition, at least 19 religious structures, allegedly unauthorised, are said to fall within railway land, bringing into question the godliness of the people, who founded the buildings of worship.
At the March 2026 Budget session, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio admitted to state administrative authorities regularising the alleged encroachments over time, further complicating the present dispute. An equal blame went to the railway authorities for what the CM held was the former remaining silent, as encroachment allegedly continued over the years. The implied passivity notwithstanding, the CM batted for finding an amicable compensation settlement between the disputing parties.
In the same breath, railway authorities have blamed the state government for allowing encroachments on the former’s land over the years. It takes two to clap, though. What were they doing when concrete structures kept coming up on land that they claimed belonged to the Indian Railways’ northeastern extension?
It must also be noted that the long-standing land dispute earned the state government’s attention only after a Central government project worth Rs 283 crore for ‘modernising’ the railway station was sanctioned in 2024. Prior to this, all it did was conveniently remaining aloof.
Both sides should have had foresight enough to determine the area of land originally mapped for the railway station, and the supporting paperwork by way of a joint inquiry. An unbiased inquiry could have determined the circumstances under which the encroachments occurred, as alleged by the railway authorities. An inquiry could have determined in which years, and under whose watch, the alleged encroachments took place.
It looks like a case of shared apathy with both the entities allowing the issue to fester instead of officially flagging and addressing it early on. But now with the matter in court, all they can do is stand by, shift blame and watch.
The writer is a Principal Correspondent at The Morung Express. Comments can be sent to imkongwalls@gmail.com
