Delay in relief disbursal flayed

Our Correspondent

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Hamipur, September 28

Landowners have resented the delay in the release of Rs 70-crore compensation of NH 70 in the district.

Sources said the Central government had released over Rs 70 crore to the state to be disbursed as compensation to the landowners. The Sub Divisional Magistrate of Bhoranj in the district was appointed as Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA), which started disbursing the compensation to the stakeholders. It is learnt that due to sluggish response of the website of the NHAI, transfer of the funds to the accounts of the beneficiaries was being delayed. There are over 6,728 land accounts having over 15,000 stakeholders who would be paid compensation.

Notably, 19.5-km stretch of the NH-70 falls in the district and 287 buildings would be razed to widen this stretch of the NH. This stretch starts from Hamirpur town to Awahdevi and includes Drogan, Darkoti, Tapre, Bari, Tikkar, Barara, Panjot, Sameerpur and Sangroh villages.

The CALA had started disbursing compensation to stakeholders about a week ago and it could only transfer Rs. 9.49 crore to 393 beneficiaries. It is learnt that one such entry was taking over 15 minutes and if this speed continued, it would take at over four months to distribute the compensation.

Rakesh Sharma of CALA said the process to disburse compensation had started and over Rs 9 crore had been disbursed. Speaking on the delay, he said that slow connectivity was cause of delay and would be improved soon.

DC Devashweta Banik said that CALA Bhoranj and NH staff had been directed to ensure disbursements of compensation within two months. Some technical difficulties were being faced on the online software for disbursement and the NHAI authorities had been asked to resolve them on priority, she added.