BRO road widening: Lahaul villagers flag low relief, seek fair land value

The proposed widening of the Sansari-Killar-Thirot-Tandi (SKTT) road in the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has triggered concern among local residents, with nearly 1,200 families in the Patan valley fearing inadequate compensation for their land.

While the project aims to improve connectivity and ensure smoother traffic movement along the strategic stretch from Tandi to Tindi, affected villagers say development should not come at the cost of their livelihoods. The road connects the Lahaul valley of Lahaul-Spiti district with the Pangi region of Chamba district.

Suresh Kumar, president of the affected villagers’ committee, said locals were not opposing the road expansion. “We support development, but the compensation offered must reflect the real value of our land,” he said. The core issue revolves around low circle rates used to determine compensation during land acquisition. In tribal regions like Lahaul-Spiti, land transactions are minimal due to restrictions on sale to outsiders, resulting in artificially low registered values and, consequently, lower circle rates than the actual market value.

Villagers pointed to stark disparities in land valuation. In Keylong, just a few kilometres from Tandi, the circle rate per biswa is around Rs 4.82 lakh, while in Tandi it drops sharply to nearly Rs 1.17 lakh.

Villagers are now planning to submit a representation to President Droupadi Murmu during her proposed visit to Lahaul Valley, seeking intervention in the matter.

Residents argue that such discrepancies fail to reflect the true worth of fertile agricultural land, especially in a region where landholdings are limited and critical for survival.

Lahaul-Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana, who has been engaging with the issue, said the challenge lies in the methodology used to determine circle rates. “These rates are based on past registered transactions, which are few and often undervalued in tribal areas. The administration has been directed to rework the calculations and explore justified revisions,” she said.

She added that areas along national highways tend to have higher valuations compared to interior or state highway stretches, complicating uniform rate determination.

The matter has been raised with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and delegations of villagers have held multiple rounds of discussions with state authorities.

Among the key demands is the application of a “factor two” multiplier for compensation in scheduled (tribal) areas, taking into account the unique socio-economic conditions. However, officials indicated that applying such a provision selectively could set a precedent requiring uniform implementation across the state.

For residents of Lahaul-Spiti, land is not merely an asset but the backbone of survival. With limited cultivable land and restrictions on ownership transfer, losing even a small portion can have long-term consequences.

“Many families have very small landholdings. If this land is acquired at low rates, their future becomes uncertain,” a local resident said. The administration has assured that the issue is being examined at both the government and local levels, with efforts underway to ensure fair compensation.