Villagers Allege ₹55 Crore Compensation Missing in Lumding–Silchar Rail Project

Villagers in Assam’s Dima Hasao district have alleged that compensation for land acquired during the Lumding–Silchar railway project never reached them, despite government records claiming that ₹55 crore was disbursed.

The railway line, built between 2002 and 2014 and inaugurated in 2015, was projected as a lifeline for the Barak Valley and neighbouring hill districts. While the project is hailed as a major engineering achievement, affected families say they were left without compensation even after more than two decades.

Villagers Speak Out

Residents like Purandal Langthasa, whose name appears in the official beneficiary list, say they gave away land based on government assurances. “We trusted the officials. They promised compensation, but even after 20 years, we have received nothing,” Langthasa told reporters. Many others have shared similar accounts of displacement without relief.

RTI Exposes Gaps

The issue came to light after the All Dimasa Students Union filed an RTI in 2022. The reply revealed that 462 hectares of land were acquired and ₹55 crore was sanctioned. However, only ₹7.11 crore could be traced. Officials of the Dima Hasao Autonomous Council admitted that many files had been misplaced during an office relocation.

Adding to the controversy, another ₹6.46 crore sanctioned in 2016 for 11 villages is also unaccounted for. Several families say they were unaware of the allocation.

Development vs. Displacement

The railway project included 21 tunnels and 79 bridges across some of the toughest terrain in the Northeast, including the 54-meter-high Dayang Bridge. While officials celebrate it as a milestone for regional connectivity, villagers argue it came at the cost of their homes, farmland, and livelihoods.

For them, the tracks symbolize progress for outsiders but broken promises for those who sacrificed land.

Calls for Accountability

The Assam Information Commission had directed the council to produce a complete list of beneficiaries. However, full records are yet to surface, raising suspicions of corruption and mismanagement.

Community leaders and activists are now demanding a transparent investigation into how ₹55 crore was shown as disbursed without proof of payment. They insist rightful compensation must be delivered to displaced families.

Still Waiting

For the government, the Lumding–Silchar line stands as a symbol of development. But for hundreds of families in Dima Hasao, it remains a story of justice denied—where trains run daily on tracks built over land they lost, but compensation is still missing.

Also Read: 3,000-Bigha Land Row in Dima Hasao Snowballs Into Courtroom and Political Battle