Centre Sanctions Rs 283 Crore to Modernise 123-Year-Old Dimapur Railway Station

The Central government has sanctioned Rs 283 crore for the modernisation of Dimapur railway station in Nagaland, a minister informed the state Assembly on Monday, as legislators debated the future of a station that predates the state itself.

Health and Family Welfare Minister P. Pawang Konyak, replying to a discussion on the status of the Dimapur railway station, confirmed the allocation and noted that Dimapur remains the second highest revenue-earning railway station in the entire Northeast region.

Konyak also told the House that both the concerned department and landowners have written to the Ministry of Railways seeking compensation, and are currently awaiting a response.

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Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, participating in the discussion, placed the station's significance in historical context. Inaugurated in 1903, the Dimapur railway station is over 120 years old and predates the formation of Nagaland as a state in 1963 by more than six decades.

Rio noted that when railway authorities first occupied and measured the land for railway purposes, the constitutional provisions relating to land ownership that now apply in Nagaland did not yet exist. Over the years, encroachments gradually increased while railway authorities remained largely silent — and administrative bodies even regularised some of those encroachments over time, further complicating the current situation.

Rio stressed that the modernisation opportunity is too significant to be derailed by unresolved land issues, and called for constructive dialogue between the state government and Indian Railways.

"The state cannot afford to miss the opportunity to develop and expand the crucial rail hub," he said, urging an amicable settlement — particularly on the question of compensation for landowners.

However, Rio also cautioned that compensation demands should not be set at excessively high rates, signalling that the state government wants a practical and balanced resolution.

Dimapur, Nagaland's main commercial city, is located approximately 70 km from the state capital Kohima.