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DIMAPUR — The office of the deputy chief minister and minister in-charge of Planning and Transformation and National Highway, has appealed to the Phek District Maytas-Gayatri Damaged Victim Association (PDMGDVA) to understand the factual position of the state government and reconsider the association’s stand to resort to mass agitation, starting first week of December.
The PS to the deputy CM, in a press release, said that if a precedent is set wherein the state government starts to pay for land and damage compensation in National Highway projects, then the state will not be in position to have any more National Highway constructions as the government can never pay for the same to the land owners.
Clarifying to PDMGDVA’s earlier “insinuation” that the file for compensation was being withheld and delayed when it was put up to the deputy chief minister on Nov. 3 for planning clearance, the deputy CM’s office affirmed that the file had never reached its office.
It also maintained that the PDMGDVA is well briefed of the high court order dated January 30, 2023 wherein the court had directed that the state government shall make the first move and submit the assessment.
Thereafter, the Ministry concerned (MoRTH) will sanction the amount and give it to the state government and the latter will disburse the amount to the beneficiaries.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]“This order is succinct and there is no room for contest and ambiguity,” it said.
“However, when the Ministry gave the sanction on 27th October 2023, there was rider clause which states that the Ministry will recover the compensation amount of INR 60 crore from the Agency Charges of the state government, which is basically from the state exchequer,” the office informed.
It went to point out that the rider was in contravention to the court’s order as the order did not mention that the burden of compensation will be upon the state government.
“Moreover, given the financial position of the State Government, we cannot afford to pay compensation whatsoever as compensation is purely of central subject and precedent cannot be set where State government is made to pay for compensation,” the deputy CM’s office clarified.
“Due to this fact, the state government is corresponding with the Ministry to exempt us and not let the state government’s agency charges be deducted to recover for the compensation paid by the Ministry,” it added.
It further informed that the deputy chief minister has been fervently pursuing for the benefit of the people vis-à-vis the land compensation, and recently got the approval of the state cabinet to let the land owners claim compensation in any National Highway where land is acquired for the construction.
A notification will soon be issued in this regard, it added.
“It is also noteworthy to mention here that the file for release of compensation had never been put up to Planning department for clearance of the same. Only after resolving the matter of the rider clause in the sanction order of the Ministry, the concerned department will put up the file for planning clearance for release of the amount.
“And be rest assured that Planning and Transformation Department will not delay on such matters of public importance and grievance and give the necessary clearance,” the office said.