4-laning: ‘Inadequate’ land reward may become key poll issue

Dipender Manta

Mandi, October 22

The unresolved demand for higher land compensation by the people affected by the four-laning of the Kiratpur-Manali highway is bound to echo in the Assembly elections in Kullu, Mandi and Bilaspur districts.

Affected residents have been demanding compensation four times higher as per the present market rates to the loss of property and the land they lost for the road project. The government, however, has provided compensation two times higher to the affected people. Over 10,000 families have been affected by this road project in Mandi, Kullu and Bilaspur districts.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, the impact of the resentment among the people hit by the four-lane project was quite visible in Mandi district against the Congress, which directly benefitted the BJP.

Also, the BJP had made a promise that if it came to power, it would provide four times higher compensation to the affected. But, the party did nothing in this regard, except giving false assurances that further disappointed the affected people.

The impact of this move was seen in the last

year’s bypoll of the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

As a result, Congress candidate Pratibha Singh won the Mandi seat.

At present too, there is a lot of resentment among the people affected by the four-lane project in

Mandi, Kullu and Bilaspur. They are looking at the Assembly elections as an opportunity to teach a lesson to the government, which has not addressed their issues.

According to sources, the affected people have joined hands under the banner of the Bhumi Adhigrahan Manch to chalk out the future course of action.

Joginder Walia, manch coordinator, said, “The BJP government has betrayed us and has not fulfilled its poll promise. Due to this, there is a strong resentment against the government. The party had paid the price for ignoring the interests of the public in the Mandi bypoll. Now, it will face a similar fate in the Assembly elections too.”

“The issue just doesn’t concern the residents of three districts. The four-laning road projects have affected over one lakh people in six districts of Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla and Kangra,” he added.

What they want

• Affected residents have been demanding four times high compensation as per the present market rates to the loss of property and the land they lost for the road project.
• The government, however, has provided two times higher compensation to the affected people.
• The affected people have joined hands under the banner of the Bhumi Adhigrahan Manch to chalk out the future course of action, said sources