Centre asks Punjab to reconsider compensation in Dasuya

Hoshiarpur, June 20 (UNI) The Centre has asked the Punjab government to reconsider the proposed compensation of Rs 8.74 crore per hectare to farmers for land acquisition for widening the National Highway in Dasuya sub-division saying it was much beyond the sanctioned cost and would pose an obstacle for the ambitious project.

The Chairman of National Highways Authority of India, Pardeep Kumar, in a letter to Chief Secretary of the Punjab government R I Singh, has sought reconsideration of the proposed compensation of Rs 8.74 crore per hectare of land in six villages including Dala, Rasoolpur, Darapur, Urmur, Kainthan and Dasuya, official sources said today.

For these six aforesaid villages, the amount of compensation of Rs 102.5 crore is for a length of 5.75 Km long road which comes to Rs 17.82 crore per Km, whereas the sanctioned cost of the project by the government is of Rs 5 crore per Km which includes the cost of land acquisition, construction cost and other related expenditures.

The proposed compensation amount was recommended by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Dasuya, who was appointed competent authority for land acquisition in Dasuya sub division, for widening of Jalandhar-Pathankot-Jammu section of NH-1A in stretch of 26.00 km to 117.20 km (Jalandhar-Pathankot section) and from 3.26 Km to 16.50 km (Pathankot-Jammu section) in Punjab and work for which has been started in November, 2005.

According to the sources, the Chairman has stated that the authority had been received from the SDM, Dasuya an estimate of Rs 138.89 crore for acquisition of 27532 Marlas of private land and structures etc. in 34 villages.

As against this, the authority had already sanctioned the amount of Rs 14.37 crore for acquisition of 16178 Marlas of private land and structures in 19 villages.

Thus, the compensation for the balance land and structures of 11354 Marlas (28.72 hectare) comes to Rs 124.32 crore for 15 villages. This compensation works out to Rs 3.53 crore per hectare, Rs 3520 per sq. mt, which is considered to be very high.

Mr Kumar pointed out that the huge proposed amount for the acquisition of land would create obstacles in the completion of this project and asked the Chief Secretary to immediately get revised the rates of the said 15 villages revised.

Meanwhile, SDM Dasuya told mediapersons that the compensation amount of Rs 14.37 crore of 19 villages were yet to be disbursed.

The Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, D. K. Tiwari also said the interests of all the those persons whose land had been acquired, would be protected at any costs.

UNI