THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, October 10: Land for the National Highway and State Road is equally important. It is acquired at the prevailing market rate.
However, NHAI sometimes tries to override the state power to right of land, which is spurned by the state government.
Easy land acquisition is an exception all over India. However, hefty compensation makes things easier.
DC Reviews Progress, Flags Slow Work
Acquiring land has many shelves and here inordinate delay is possible. Irked by poor progress in land acquisition for four lanes of the NH 75 and roads under the Jharkhand Road Construction Department (RCD) in Palamu, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sameera S has ‘put on hold’ October salary right from the District Land Acquisition Officer down to the assistants in the Bhoo Arjan Karyalaya in Palamu Collectorate.
Also Read- ED raids Bengal minister Sujit Bose’s home in municipal recruitment scam
Confirming this, Additional Collector Kundan Kumar told this correspondent, “DC held a virtual meeting reviewing progress of land acquisition for four lanes of NH 75 and RCD’s roads very recently and found the progress of land acquisition too slow and sluggish.”
“October salary of the district land acquisition officer and assistants under him, has been put on hold”, reaffirmed Kundan Kumar.
This deterrence is to spur the officers and babus to pave the way for faster and hassle-free land acquisition.
Administrative sources said land acquisition comes to a halt if the office of the Anchal doesn’t issue the LPC (Land Possession Certificate).
Compensation Pending, NHAI Yet to Clear Dues
Again, awardees whose lands have been acquired are yet to be paid compensation for their land, and this is against the prevailing norms of land acquisition.
Sources said the DC detected a huge number of pendency of the issuance of the LPCs in respect of land to be acquired for the four lanes and roads under the RCD.
NHAI is to pay more than 40 crores of rupees for land acquired in the region of Satbarwa and Medininagar, read an official note, in possession of this correspondent.
Land acquisition lies in limbo for want of payment from the NHAI in these two sectors, Satbarwa and Medininagar.
Also Read- Supreme Court dismisses PIL seeking probe into cough syrup deaths
Hundreds of LPCs Pending Across Anchals
Similarly, there is an enormous pendency of issuance of the LPCs in respect of roads under the RCD.
An official note read 80 LPCs are pending in Haidernagar Anchal, 176 in Mohammadganj Anchal, 487 in Chainpur Anchal etc for roads and bridges to come under the RCD of the Jharkhand government.
Sources said such pendency not only affects the progress of work, it fuels anger and discontent of the awardees who are made to wait for a longer period for payment of their land so acquired.
NHAI’s works are being monitored by the government of India, and such tardiness reflects a poor image of the district and state administration, said an official.
