Aizawl, August 13: Landowners affected by the Bairabi–Sairang railway project in Mizoram have threatened to fence off portions of their land in protest against long-pending compensation claims. The group alleges that 14 affected owners are owed a total of ₹14.56 crore for land damaged during construction, with four receiving no payment at all and others only partially compensated.
The landowners said they plan to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Indian Railways, and the Aizawl Deputy Commissioner to demand immediate action. They warned that unless dues are cleared, they will block access to the railway line.
According to the group, survey work began in August 2011, and most other landowners along the route had received compensation by 2016. They accused the Aizawl district administration and Indian Railways of shifting blame instead of resolving the matter.
District officials confirmed they had reached an agreement with the landowners to conduct spot verification of affected land on August 19. However, they cautioned that following standard procedures could delay full compensation by two to three years.
The 51.38-km Bairabi–Sairang railway line, constructed under the Government of India’s Act East Policy, was declared complete by the Northeast Frontier Railway in June after safety clearance. The project will connect Aizawl with Silchar in Assam and integrate Mizoram with India’s railway network for the first time. Construction began in 2015, and the state government has invited the Prime Minister to inaugurate the new line and Sairang station.
