Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio. (Morung File Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 17
The controversy over the Dimapur airport and the Assam Rifles’ alleged Rs 16 crore compensation demand took a new turn with the Nagaland Chief Minister stating that the para-military force should provide a new airport if they refuse to relocate its training centre. The Assam Rifles Training Centre at 3rd Mile, located adjacent to the airport, has become a bone of contention over the years, accused of coming in the way of expanding Nagaland’s sole airport.
“If they will not move out from there, then they have to give us a new airport. That is the decision,”
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio told the media on January 17 after coming out of a meeting of the Nagaland government’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) at the Nagaland Police Complex, Chümoukedima.
According to Rio, his government has decided to take up the issue “with the Ministry” for resolving the dispute. He, however, did not specify which Union Ministry.
Common Platform Nagaland?
In a separate interaction, Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang stated that the Political Affairs Committee will push for a Common Naga platform of Nagaland to address the fragmented socio-political landscape. He said that a fragmented Naga civil society organisations has given way to a situation where various organisations assert their opinions independently.
“We should try to create a Naga common platform of Nagaland. Because practically all the NGOs are fragmented. And all the organizations speak in their own way about the Naga issue,” said Zeliang.
According to him, there should be only one “apex body,” which represents the Naga people, and one “who will talk about the Naga issue.”
In this regard, he said that the wish of the state government is for all the tribal organisations to come together. He added that while elected members represent the people under the Constitution of India, a unified non-governmental voice is required for the peace process.
In addition, he said that all the Naga Political Groups should also come under one umbrella. He said, “33 factions, 33 solutions will not be there. So... our objective is to bring the Naga civil society together and all the underground groups also should create one common platform.”
He maintained that the PAC meeting concluded without adopting a formal resolution.
ED probe
Meanwhile, the Roads and Bridges Minister G Kaito Aye distanced the PWD (Roads and Bridges) from the controversy over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation into the alleged siphoning of Rs 1.9 crore meant for the Kohima High Court construction.
He said that the project falls under the Housing Department, not Roads and Bridges. While he acknowledged the “old case,” he declined to comment further, stating the matter was sub-judice.
In its chargesheet filed before a Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Dimapur, the ED has charged M/s Hexad Syndicate and its partners Thepfusatuo Rio, Mhalelie Rio and Vibeilietuo Kets of conniving with the Nagaland PWD officials of fraudulently inflating costs.
“Let the facts be found out, and who is responsible should be responsible,” he said.
