Guwahati, Sep 3 : Ripples of unrest at Singur in neighbouring Bengal over land acquisition were felt in Assam with CMO sources today saying that differences over the compensation package between the district administration and joint landowners was holding up the Centre’s flagship East West Corridor project.
“The headache is not as acute as in Bengal, but at the same time, it cannot be wished away. It has to be tackled carefully as the opposition is not against the project per se. In some cases landowners are unhappy with the compensation package — some have taken the compensation, others have not. In other cases, relatives have moved court seeking a pie of the compensation package, thereby delaying the acquisition without which contracts cannot be issued,” the source said.
Though the deadline to complete the acquisition process was June, things have got bogged down because of the deadlock over the compensation package. The packages vary according to the location of the acquired land and range between Rs 50,000 and Rs 90,000 a bigha, sources said.
They said the issue was discussed threadbare with the deputy commissioners of four districts — Nagaon, Morigaon, Bongaigaon and Barpeta — through which the corridor passes at a specially convened meeting by the chief secretary recently.
A separate meeting was also held with officials of security, home department, railway and the National Highway Authority of India on the situation in the volatile North Cachar Hills, where the project has been delayed because of militancy.
“The deputy commissioners were asked to expedite the acquisition of land within this month,” the source said.
That the completion of the project, along with the gauge conversion project in North Cachar Hills, has become a topmost priority of the government became clear from an hourlong meeting convened by Raj Bhavan this afternoon. Sources privy to the deliberations said Governor S.C. Mathur appealed to all stakeholders to complete the project at the earliest.
“The governor was briefed by the chief secretary as well as security personnel about the progress as well as steps being taken to overcome hurdles. The governor said it would be difficult to get additional security personnel from outside the state and efforts have to be made to tide over the problem from the state’s own resources. Representatives of both the NHAI and railways assured us that work would start in full swing from October,” the source said.
The 678km corridor between Srirampur and Silchar passes through Srirampur, Bijni, Nalbari, Guwahati, Sonapur, Nagaon, Doboka, Lumding, Maibong and Silchar.
NHAI sources said only 75 per cent of the land has been handed over to them by Dispur. “Security has been the other problem but Dispur has assured us of all possible help to put the project on the fast track,” the source said.
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