Chümoukedima, January 29 (MExN): The Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO), the apex body representing the “traditional landholders and inhabitants of the Chakhroma region of Chümoukedima district” in Nagaland has issued an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding the immediate vacation of Airport Authority of India (AAI) land occupied by the Assam Rifles Training Centre (ARTC) at Dimapur Airport.
In the letter, the CPO expressed gratitude for the Prime Minister’s “deep love and concern” for the Naga people since 2014. However, it highlighted the “illegal and continued occupation” of airport land by the ARTC as a critical obstruction to development.
The organisation stated it is in possession of authenticated official records confirming that the Dimapur airfield was formally handed over by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to the then National Airports Authority (now AAI) in 1987.
“This handover, signed by Squadron Leader BS Bamra on behalf of the IAF, established clear administrative ownership for civil aviation,” it stated, rendering the ARTC’s presence an “indefinite temporary stay” with “no legal standing.”
The CPO, identifying as “ancestral inhabitants and traditional landowners of this region,” emphasised that while the Naga public had cooperated in clearing private encroachments to facilitate the airport’s Phase-I master plan, the “paramilitary force continues to occupy public utility land.”
It recognized the ‘principal bottleneck’ as the ARTC’s demand for Rs 16 crore in compensation for what it termed “ghost buildings”—abandoned and decaying structures. The organisation called this demand “illogical” and “in bad faith,” noting an alternative, fully operational facility had already been provided at Shokhuvi village, Chümoukedima District.
CPO also highlighted that the stagnation of Dimapur Airport, Nagaland’s only air gateway, directly contradicts the central government’s “Act East” vision, wherein one of the major pillars of the policy is connectivity. The occupation prevents runway extension and the installation of critical safety equipment, it stated.
Appealing for the Prime Minister’s intervention, the CPO urged him to direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to issue a time-bound directive for the ARTC to vacate the occupied land—18.8 acres under Phase-I and a larger 148-acre tract without further delay.
It expressed confidence that the Prime Minister would not let the people of Nagaland be deprived of development due to the “stubborn stance of the ARTC.”
