Land acquisition: SDM scraps award revised by predecessor
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service
Moga, May 31
District Collector-cum-SDM Charandip Singh has rejected the land acquisition compensation “arbitrarily” hiked by his predecessor Surinder Kaur from Rs 1.17 crore per acre to Rs 2.13 crore in the run-up to the Assembly elections.
Initially, Surinder Kaur had fixed a compensation of Rs 1.17 crore per acre in September 2015 for the land of farmers being acquired to widen the Jalandhar-Moga-Barnala NH within the revenue area of Dosanjh village. However, this amount could not be paid to farmers in time. In October 2016, the then Collector hiked the rate to Rs 2.13 crore per acre, allegedly against rules.
Charandip Singh has sought a clarification from the National Highways Authority of India. He said the Collector-cum-SDM was not authorised to revise the compensation rate.
According to Section 33 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, “The Collector may at any time, but not later than six months from the date of award or where he has been required under the Act to make a reference to the authority under Section 64, before the making of such reference, by order, correct clerical or arithmetical mistakes in the awards or errors arising therein either on his own motion or on the application of any person interested or local authority provided that no correction is likely to affect prejudicially any person.”
Meanwhile, Dosanjh village farmers are demanding compensation at the new rate.
Former SDM Surinder Kaur said, “Irevised the rate as per rules. I acted without any political pressure.”
