Villagers at NHAI door to give land – 153 families near Jalpaiguri offer land for NH31D four-laning

November 19, 2013

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Vehicles move along NH31D at Assam More in Jalpaiguri on Monday. Picture by Biplab Basak

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Jalpaiguri, : Over 150 families near Jalpaiguri town have volunteered to give their plots to the National Highways Authority of India for four-laning of NH31D, a key project in north Bengal that has not taken off because of land acquisition protests.

The gesture from the villagers is unusual as in several other places in Jalpaiguri district, villagers have blocked land acquisition demanding higher compensation.

A delegation representing 153 families of Raninagar, on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town just off the highway, today submitted a memorandum at the NHAI project office in Siliguri, requesting that their land be acquired immediately as they want the highway project to take off.

The residents, who have formed a Jami Ditey Icchuk Byaktider Committee (committee of people who want to give land), said some “outsiders” had stopped officials when they had gone to Raninagar this month when they had to take land measurements for acquisition.

“On November 10, employees from the district land and land reforms department visited our plots, measured the portion that they would require for the four-lane project and were about to make valuation when some outsiders came, protested and stopped their work. The officials were forced to leave,” said Koushik Das, the convener of the committee.

“The next day, we formed this committee as we are in favour of immediate construction of the four-lane highway which would largely help in swift transport movement and also improve the economy of the region,” Das said.

One of the residents said that if land was not acquired quickly, the residents would begin protests demanding that their plots be used for the project.

The four-laning would be done from Ghoshpukur in Siliguri to Salsalabari in Cooch Behar, a 155km stretch. According to officials, the widening of NH31D would require about 570 hectares.

The NH31D is part of the East-West Corridor from Porbandar in Gujarat to Silchar in Assam. The NH31D and NH34 are the lifelines of north Bengal. The north Bengal stretch of NH31D is the only part of the East-West Corridor where four-laning is yet to begin.

On October 29, north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb had met NHAI and panchayat representatives from Dhupguri to ease the land protest there. At that time, sources had said the problem in Dhupguri was the last land hurdle on the path of the project. But on November 13, protesters blocked Assam More, also near Jalpaiguri, and said they would not give land for the project unless they were paid four times the announced compensation.

According to government rules, land losers get compensation according to the current market price. The government may also give a solatium and a rate of interest on the compensation amount.

Today, Raninagar resident Bakul Rani Saha said because of the delay in land acquisition, the people were unable to repair their homes and shops. “Unless the portion of land required for widening the road is demarcated, we cannot repair our houses or shops. We are in a fix and the only reason for the delay is the objection raised by some outsiders who do not own the plots here,” Saha said.

Like in Assam More, people of Fatapukur and Mainaguri have also demanded more compensation.

Santosh Saha, another Raninagar resident, said: “The two-lane highway is in a pitiable condition over the past three-four years and we want the work of four-laning to commence immediately.”

D.K. Ansari, the project manager of NHAI in Siliguri, said the offer of the Raninagar residents would be discussed with Jalpaiguri district administration. “We have communicated to the district land and land reforms department in Jalpaiguri, requesting them to go ahead and acquire the land,” he said.

Officials of the land and land reforms department said they would soon start acquiring land in Raninagar.

Source-http://www.telegraphindia.com