Kohima, May 8 (IANS). Officials said a joint program was organized on Friday to complete the process of handing over and taking over 18.8 acres of land occupied by the Assam Rifles Training Center and School at Chumaukedima to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the expansion of Dimapur airport.
Dimapur Airport Director Moa Pongane, Assam Rifles Commandant KD Sharma and several other senior officials of the state government attended the event, a senior Nagaland government official said. During the programme, the officials inspected the 18.8 acre area identified within the Assam Rifles Training Center and School premises located in Chumaukedima district.
After the inspection, a formal ‘Transfer and Acquisition’ ceremony was held in the presence of senior officials of the State Government, marking an important step towards the long pending expansion of Dimapur Airport.
During the meeting, the officials also discussed issues related to transfer of the remaining land occupied by the Assam Rifles Training Center and the school. This land is needed for Phase-2 expansion of the airport.
It was agreed that further instructions would be required from the concerned authorities to facilitate the transfer of the remaining land required for the second phase of development works. The official said that this program of handing over and taking the land is an important milestone in the entire development plan of Dimapur Airport.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had last year requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and help in the transfer of 18.8 acres of land occupied by Assam Rifles. He had said that this land is very important for the airport expansion project.
According to the official, Assam Rifles has already been allotted a second land at Shokhuvi village in Chumaukedima district, where a new training center and school have been built and are fully functional.
The official said that despite these developments, out of the total 147 acres of land occupied by Assam Rifles, 18.8 acres was pending for transfer for a long time, thereby delaying major infrastructure works and expansion activities at the Dimapur airport.
Earlier, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had vacated 8.4 acres of land under its possession, thereby supporting the Phase-1 expansion plan of the airport.
The official said that the Chief Minister had requested the Union Home Minister to issue necessary instructions through the Home Ministry, so that the land transfer process can be facilitated and timely commencement of development works can be ensured.
In his letter to Amit Shah, the Chief Minister had said that the inability to expand Dimapur airport due to lack of land is creating serious concerns regarding operations and security.
The Airports Authority of India’s master plan for phased development of the airport is stuck in the first phase due to delay in transfer of land.
Let us tell you that Dimapur Airport, which is the only airport in Nagaland, plays an important role in connecting the state with the rest of the country. This airport not only serves the people of Nagaland but also the residents of adjacent areas of Assam and Manipur within a radius of about 100 kilometres.
The official further said that despite its strategic importance and increasing passenger flow, efforts to expand the airport had been hampered for a long time due to land issues not being resolved.
–IANS
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