EMN
Dimapur, Fbruary 12
ACAUT Nagaland expressed concern over news report on the plight of the affected land owners of 4-lane highway project from Patkai/Chumukedima Bridge to Kushiabill village under Dimapur district and demanded both NHIDCL and State government to clarify on the vexed land/building compensation controversy at the earliest.
“The supposed ‘decision’ of the National Highway Industrial Development Corporation Ltd.’s(NHIDCL) to pay compensation on installment basis citing ‘lack of funds’ smells fishy. In all likelihood it smack of conspiracy and the role of the State government in this whole sordid affair is also questionable. When the project is already sanctioned and work supposed to start from March 2016, as declared by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during his visit to the State in Nov 2015, that there should be now ‘constraint of funds’ excuse for land compensation purpose is shocking to say the least. Under the present circumstances, it is hard to believe that NHIDCL, mandated to build 10,000 km of roads in the Northeast is as broke as the State government! The conspiratorial delay in the release of compensation amount is the sole reason for the ruckus being created in the first place. One of the great scam in the State is to deposit development funds or even salaries in the banks and usurp the interest money generated by delaying the money release for as long as possible. With the land compensation amount running into hundreds of crores of rupees, the possibility of delay on this count is too strong to be discounted,’ stated a press note issued by Media Cell, ACAUT Nagaland.
The ACAUT said the 4-laning project was originally supposed to have taken off in 2004 and necessarily completed by now if the project amount hadn’t been ‘pocketed’ by certain politicians while Guwahati-Shillong sector sanctioned much later has now completed.
The ACAUT supported the resentment and agitation by the land owners against the reported decision to pay land compensation on installment basis.
“It is simply injustice that people whose homes are to be razed down should be paid in installments since they’d require every penny of the compensation amount to start their lives elsewhere. Rather, the authorities should be thankful that the land owners have agreed to give their land for development of 4-lane highway in the larger interest of development and economic prosperity. Also, the estimation of lands and buildings for compensation was done as per 2013 and therefore, the pertinent question is; if in case the land owners demand rate revision in tandem with the present prevailing market rate, should the State government allow the project to be delayed or derailed on this count?”
The ACAUT said, any entity derailing the project under whatever circumstances shall be held accountable. ACAUT said it will not allow lame excuses to derail the 4-lane project under any circumstances and it is prepared to follow the project at every step of the way to ensure a transparent process in its implementation.
“The ACAUT Nagaland further cautions that the authorities involved in the release of compensation should hold no illusion of hoodwinking the people for their personal greed.”
