Nagaland may not return MSRTC land
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 15, 2011:
A report in a newspaper published in Nagaland says, the renewal of lease of the Dimapur land to the MSRTC is doubtful.
Minister L Jayentakumar after meeting Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in November, 2010 claimed that Rio assured return of the MSRTC complex at Dimapur Town Block-III which was allotted to seven private individuals by the Nagaland government.
He had expressed hope of the return of the same after Christmas.
But Nagaland Post in its Saturday edition, quoting an official source said that the renewal of the lease to MSRTC is in doubt.
The daily reported that "it appears that the government of Nagaland is seriously weighing the pros and cons of the case".
Quoting an official source, it states that Block-III was given on a 30-year renewable lease to the Government of Manipur during the early sixties.
The plot was used as a bus and godown depot by the MSRTC since the sixties.
Nagaland claims that when the lease agreement expired, there was no communication from the Government of Manipur.
The Nagaland revenue department then issued pattas to beneficiaries.
The source says, it is not known if the Government of Manipur was aware if there was any communication from the Nagaland counterpart on the expiry of the lease agreement.
It also recalled that the Government of Manipur belatedly attempted to reclaim the 4,241 acres of land under Block-III which formed the MSRTC depot.
In November, 2010, a team of ministers led by L Jayentakumar visited Kohima to urge upon the chief minister to restore the land on lease.
Inspecting the MSRTC complex in Dimapur they witnessed development of private business centres by seven private individuals and construction of a church inside the complex.