Kohima, July 2 : Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take action to vacate 18.8 acres of land currently occupied by Assam Rifles, as the land would be utilised for the expansion of Dimapur Airport.

A Nagaland government official said that the Assam Rifles have already been allotted alternate land at Shokhuvi village in Chumoukedima district, where a new training centre and school have been established and are now fully operational.

Despite these positive developments, 18.8 acres out of 147 acres under the occupation of Assam Rifles remains un-transferred, delaying critical airport infrastructure work and expansion of Dimapur Airport, he said.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has vacated 8.4 acres of land under their occupation, supporting the Phase-I expansion scheme of Dimapur Airport.

The official said that the Chief Minister requested the Union Home Minister for urgent instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to facilitate the transfer and ensure the timely commencement of developmental works.

In his letter to Shah, the Chief Minister said that the inability to expand Dimapur airport due to land constraints is causing serious operational and safety concerns. Airport Authority of India's (AAI) master plan for phased development has been hindered even at Phase I due to pending land transfer.

'The state government and CRPF have done their part by vacating and handing over the required land. Assam Rifles already has a fully functional facility at Shokhuvi, negating the need to retain the current land. Multiple representations have been made, yet approval for land handover is still pending,' the Chief Minister's letter said.

The official said that a high-level meeting was held on July 1 in New Delhi, chaired by Abhijit Sinha, Additional Secretary (Police II), Ministry of Home Affairs. This meeting was a direct outcome of the sustained efforts led by the Chief Minister and Nagaland Chief Secretary J. Alam to resolve the issue.

The Chief Secretary also wrote to the Union Home Secretary, reiterating the state's position. He underscored that several meetings have been held with the Assam Rifles to resolve the issue. However, the land is yet to be vacated despite repeated assurances and reminders.

Alam further said that the Assam Rifles has expressed willingness to vacate the land subject to MHA's directive and structural compensation but since this is a book transfer between two Central government entities (Assam Rifles and AAI), structural compensation is not applicable, and the transfer can be made on an 'as-is-where-is' basis.

Dimapur Airport, the only airport in Nagaland, plays a critical role in connecting the region with the rest of the country. The airport serves not only the people of Nagaland but also adjoining areas of Assam and Manipur within a 100 km radius. Despite its strategic importance and rising passenger traffic, expansion efforts have been severely constrained due to longstanding land issues, the official stated.

/IANS