Delhi Government notifies land acquisition for 4-lane RCC bridge project on Najafgarh drain

The long-stalled four-lane bridge project on Delhi's Najafgarh drain is finally set to see the light of day with the Delhi Government this week notifying acquisition of a land parcel for the project.

Through a gazatte notification, the government has said it will acquire land in Badusarai village of Matiala tehsil in South-West Delhi for the construction of the four-lane reinforced concrete and cement (RCC) bridge over the Najafgarh drain.

The bridge project has remained stalled for years due to the inability of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department to acquire a small but critical piece of land on one end of the bridge.

The project will now be executed by the same Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The notification seen by The Tribune and issued by the Office of the Secretary (Revenue)-cum-Divisional Commissioner says a total of 3 biswa and 2 biswansi of the agricultural land will be acquired for the construction of the bridge upstream of RD (reduced distance) 14,468 metres on the Najafgarh drain.

The project is aimed at strengthening flood-control infrastructure and improving road connectivity in the area.

Once completed, the project is expected to benefit people of Najafgarh’s Badusarai, Daurala, Dhansa, Jhuljhuli, Nirmal Dham, Bahadurgarh, Ghummanhera villages as also villages adjacent to Dwarka and other nearby villages in Haryana.

The declaration of land acquisition by the Delhi Government has been made under Section 19 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, after the completion of all mandatory procedures.

Officials said no objections were received from affected persons during the prescribed period, allowing the government to proceed with the acquisition.

It is learnt that the land to be acquired is in the name of Pardeep Kumar, Hemant Kumar and Pawan Kumar, sons of one Jagat Singh and residents of Nanak Heri in New Delhi. The authorities today clarified that no families will be displaced due to the acquisition, as the project affects only a small portion of land.

“Under the rehabilitation and resettlement provisions, the affected family will be entitled to a one-time grant of Rs 50,000, while stamp duty and registration charges, if any, will be borne by the requiring department, namely the Irrigation and Flood Control Department," officials said.

They confirmed that no trees or structures exist on the land, and therefore no additional compensation related to such assets is required.

A detailed plan of the land proposed for acquisition can be inspected on any working day at the office of the Land Acquisition Collector, South-West District, Kapashera, said official sources.

The notification has been signed by Neeraj Semwal, Secretary (Revenue)-cum-Divisional Commissioner, and had been issued by the order of the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.