AIZAWL, April 3: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday announced that vacated lands and establishments of Assam Rifles in the state capital Aizawl will be formally transferred to the state government by the end of this month.
The chief minister was addressing a thanks giving function here on the relocation of the paramilitary force’s establishments from Aizawl to a designated complex at Zokhawsang about 15 km east of the state capital.
Lalduhoma said that the shifting of Assam Rifles bases from Aizawl to Zokhawsang is currently underway.
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He said that the actual handing over of land and establishments vacated by the paramilitary force to the state government will be held in two phases and will be completed at the end of April.
In spite of several hurdles and differences, the Mizoram government and Assam Rifles signed an agreement on October 23 last year for the relocation of the paramilitary force’s establishment to Zokhawsang following a series of meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Army Staff and senior officers of Assam Rifles, according to Lalduhoma.
On March 15, Shah had attended a function marking the relocation of Assam Rifles establishments from Aizawl to Zokhawsang.
The Assam Rifles has bases at Zodin square (Lammual) and Khatla areas in Aizawl.
Apart from these, the paramilitary force also has a DIG residence near Raj Bhavan in Tuikhuahtlang neighbourhood, a commandant bungalow (loch house) and a church in Tuikual area near Zodin, lands at Babutlang near the chief minister’s bungalow and at Chitte in the eastern part of the state capital, and war memorial and temple at Zodin area, among others.
As per the October agreement, the country’s oldest paramilitary force will shift to Zokhawsang and transfer more than 100 acres of its lands and establishments in Aizawl to the state government.
Assam Rifles will retain its 23 sector headquarters, Mizoram range in Aizawl’s Khatla area and DIG residence near Raj Bhavan both measuring about 96.73 acres, the agreement said.
The state government will give depreciated costs to the paramilitary force for the lands and establishments it will vacate, it said.
Lalduhoma said that lands and buildings vacated by Assam Rifles will be reserved for public use and a committee involving all parties and NGOs will be constituted to decide the usage.
According to state Land Revenue and Settlement minister B Lalchhanzova, since 1954 around 54 individuals have owned lands in the areas inhabited by Assam Rifles in Aizawl.
Of the 54 private landowners, 13 have surrendered their lands to the state government, while 11 others sued the government in a high court to retain ownership, he said.
The demand for relocation of AR bases from the heart of Aizawl to Zokhawsang was raised by the erstwhile Mizo National Front (MNF) government headed by former chief minister Laldenga in 1988 after 11 civilians were killed in a violent clash with the paramilitary force.
Lalduhoma thanked the previous governments for taking steps and pioneering the task of shifting Assam Rifles establishments to Zokhawsang.
In February 2019, the Union Home Ministry had directed the paramilitary force to shift its bases to Zokhawsang by May 31 that year.
However, the relocation was delayed after Assam Rifles alleged that certain infrastructure and facilities were yet to be resolved.
The Zokhawsang complex was inaugurated by Amit Shah in April 2023. (PTI)
