Sangharsh samiti hopeful of relief, rehab

MANDI: The fourlane affected persons are hopeful of rehabilitation and compensation. The hope emerged after a meeting they had with Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur to discuss the issue. "The minister has assured us that adequate compensation would be provided and the affected people will be rehabilitated. We are demanding four times compensation cost for the loss of property and land. The BJP had promised before the Assembly elections that the party will provide four times compensation to the fourlane affected people," said fourlane Sangharsh Samiti president Khushal Thakur. "Apart from this, we have raised the issue to keep village areas out of the ambit of Town and Country Planning Act because due to imposition of the Act in villages people were suffering", he said. The NHAI has demolished their commercial and residential properties and acquired land of farmers for the Chandigarh-Manali fourlane project. TNS