Nagaland CM Rio seeks MHA nod to unlock Dimapur airport expansion

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has intensified efforts to expedite the long-delayed expansion of Dimapur Airport, the state’s only air connectivity hub, citing national significance and mounting safety concerns due to operational limitations.

Despite progress on several fronts, a critical 18.8-acre land parcel—currently under the occupation of Assam Rifles—remains untransferred, stalling Phase I of the Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) Master Plan for the airport’s phased development. The issue was the central agenda of a high-level inter-ministerial meeting convened in New Delhi on July 1, chaired by Abhijit Sinha, IAS, Additional Secretary (Police-II), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The meeting, a result of sustained follow-ups by Chief Minister Rio and Chief Secretary Dr. J. Alam, IAS, saw participation from top officials including representatives of the Transport Department, AAI, Dimapur Airport, and Assam Rifles. The Nagaland delegation emphasized that the unresolved land transfer continues to be the single roadblock in upgrading a vital regional infrastructure serving Nagaland and parts of Assam and Manipur within a 100-km radius.

Also Read: Nagaland to review reservation policy amid mounting pressure from tribal groups

Earlier, the State Government had cleared 17.9 acres of encroached land after a prolonged legal battle and successfully handed it over to AAI. In addition, the CRPF vacated 8.4 acres in support of the expansion, and Assam Rifles had been allotted alternative land at Shokhuvi, where a new fully operational training center now stands.

In a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Rio warned that the inability to expand Dimapur Airport poses serious safety and operational risks. He stressed that with the CRPF and State Government having fulfilled their obligations, Assam Rifles no longer has a need to retain the remaining land. "Multiple representations have been made, yet the approval remains pending," Rio noted, seeking urgent intervention from the MHA.

Chief Secretary Dr. J. Alam also addressed the matter in a separate letter to the Union Home Secretary. He clarified that Assam Rifles has shown readiness to vacate, subject to an MHA directive, and pointed out that since this is a transfer between two Central Government agencies, no structural compensation is necessary. “The transfer can be made on an ‘as-is-where-is’ basis,” Dr. Alam stated, urging immediate clearance.

The State Government has reiterated that it remains committed to the expansion of Dimapur Airport as a strategic and economic imperative. With the July 1 meeting marking a turning point in inter-agency negotiations, all eyes are now on the MHA to issue the long-awaited directive to facilitate the land handover and set Phase I works into motion.