Land Acquisition for underbridge in Chandigarh: public hearing on draft rehab scheme today

To acquire land for the construction of a road underbridge (RUB), the UT Administration has prepared the draft Rehabilitation and Resettlement Scheme prepared as per section 16 - “The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency” of the Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

The Administration is set to acquire 0.74 acres in Raipur Kalan village to facilitate the construction of the RUB in place of the Chandigarh-Baltana-Harmilapnagar level crossing in Raipur Kalan village on the Chandigarh-Ambala rail route.

It will hold a public hearing tomorrow at 11.30 at the Raipur Kalan E-Sampark Centre to hear objections on the draft scheme and related suggestions will be discussed in the presence of the councillor as well as general public.

According to officials, a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) was conducted in the affected area of Raipur Kalan village to estimate the number of affected families, identify the families likely to be displaced, assess the extent of land and properties likely to be affected, explore the feasibility of alternative locations, analyse social impacts and associated costs and understand the impact of these costs on the overall project cost versus its benefits. However, no one would be displaced if the land in question was acquired, stated the officials.

The Northern Railway has planned to construct the RUB at an estimated cost of Rs 4.94 crore.

Upon completion, the underpass will bring relief to residents of Raipur Kalan, Vikas Nagar, Baltana, Zirakpur, Dhakoli, Panchkula, Mauli Jagran and the nearby areas.

The project is a collaborative effort between the Railways and the UT Administration, with both entities sharing the project’s cost almost equally.

Residents of the region have been advocating for the construction of an underpass since 2017. The complexities of obtaining clearances from various departments of the Railways, the UT Administration and the Punjab Government led to the project’s delay.