Projects abandoned due to land ownership issue: Paiwang Konyak

Art. 371, a privilige for Nagas, but holding back development - Paiwang Konyak .
Parliamentary secretary for transport & communication P. Paiwang Konyak Tuesday said most transport and communication related projects in the state have been “abandoned due to landownership problem or lack of availability of required land for the projects.”

He pointed out Article 371 of the Constitution of India was a privilege for the Nagas but at the same time it was also pushing the state backward as the same held back development of the state due to landownership.

Paiwang raised these points in a meeting chaired by him which was held in Dimapur to discuss ways and means to expedite introduction of railway connectivity in the state.

The meeting was attended by the department of state transport (NST), railway officials from North East Frontier Railway (NEFR) and Dimapur district administration.

According to a DIPR report, Paiwang said despite the efforts of the railway to introduce rail connectivity in the state, it has not achieved its target due to “some lapses.”

Stating that the lack of development in the state could not be blamed on the government alone, the parliamentary secretary said the people of the state had equal responsibility and that they should realize why state could not take forward the development process.

Paiwang also said NGOs in the state had a vital role to play and social organizations had to come forward in assisting the government for implementing developmental projects in the state.

He pointed out Article 371 of the Constitution of India was a privilege for the Nagas but at the same time it was also pushing the state backward as the same held back development of the state due to landownership.

Referring to railway connectivity in the state, the parliamentary secretary said he would go on knocking from door to door to see that the project becomes a reality.

Chief engineer (construction) NEFR, Maligaon Madan Sen informed railway department has conducted line survey from Dimapur to Zubza earlier but the survey had been abandoned due to exorbitant land rate of Rs. 60 per sq. feet. Railway authority of India has fixed the rate at Rs 25 per sq. feet.

The second phase survey was also abandoned as the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment did not give clearance for the railway line to pass through the zoological park Rangapahar.

Sen also said railway authorities had taken up third phase survey and an estimate has been prepared for railway connectivity (88 km) from Dhansiripar (Assam) to Zubza at the cost of Rs. 2440 crores which would also require 944 hectares of land.