The Assam Rifles in a formal ceremony vacated land in Mizoram’s capital Aizawl today, fulfilling a long pending demand of the people of the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, whose ministry has administrative control of the Assam Rifles, at the event highlighted the hill city with limited usable space can develop the vacant land for a good use.
The Assam Rifles is under the operational control of the Indian Army. Its Aizawl establishment has moved to Zokhawsang, 15 km from the state capital.
“Due to limited space, the development of Aizawl has not happened. To develop Aizawl hill town, the shifting of the Assam Rifles establishment was necessary. It is an administrative decision, taken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed interest,” Mr Shah said.
“The BJP-led central government is committed to working for all-round development of the northeast region. Since Independence till 2014, prime ministers have visited only 21 times. But after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, he visited the northeast 78 times in 10 years,” the Home Minister said. “In the last 10 years, central ministers visited states in the northeast region 700 times.”
Today, I attended a historic event at Sector 23 HQ Assam Rifles, Khatla, Aizawl, marking the relocation of Assam Rifles from the city center to Zokhawsanga. The occasion was graced by Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah, whose support made this long-awaited transition possible.
— Lalduhoma (@Lal_Duhoma) March 15, 2025
Mr Shah said development and peace have come in many states in this region which was devastated by insurgency and underdevelopment for decades. He gave the latest example of the Rs 2,500 crore projects in Mizoram – the construction of National Highway 502(A), and four-laning a road in Aizawl.
A 164-bed super speciality research centre will also come up in Mizoram, Mr Shah said.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said Saturday’s event was a momentous achievement for the people of the state, persuaded by successive governments.
He said for more than 100 years, the Assam Rifles has been providing security to the people in the area, and now the state government will use the land for development and welfare of the state and its people.
Since 1988, the Mizoram government has been asking for shifting the Assam Rifles establishment from the capital city to Zokhawsang. That year, the then Mizo National Front (MNF) government headed by former chief minister Laldenga first raised the demand for relocation of the Assam Rifles complex, after the paramilitary force allegedly killed 11 civilians in a clash.
In February 2019, the Union Home Ministry directed the Assam Rifles to shift its complex to Zokhawsang.
The agreement says the Assam Rifles will, however, retain its 23 Sector Headquarters (Mizoram Range) of 95.88 acres in Aizawl’s Khatla neighbourhood, and the 0.85-acre-large Deputy Inspector General (DIG) residence near the Raj Bhavan at Tuikhuahtlang.
