Locals in quandary over partial land acquisition for Pathankot- Mandi four-laning

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR, MARCH 24

The partial acquisition of buildings like shops and houses by the NHAI for construction of the proposed Pathankot- Mandi four lane project has left the affected people in Nurpur section from Kandwal to Bhedkhud in a quandary.

As many as 3,800 families, who are being affected by the four lane project, are on the warpath protesting the compensation awards announced by the Competent Authority Land Acquisition (CALA) on March 1. But partial acquisition of their structures by the NHAI has perturbed a large number of affected persons here.

As per the information, 933 buildings, including houses and commercial structures, are being acquired for widening of the existing Pathankot-Mandi National Highway (NH)-154 in Nurpur section. The affected people, who are set to lose their buildings partially for the project, are spending sleepless nights as they say that their left-out structures will be of no use.

The NHAI is supposed to disburse compensation of their acquired portion and the rest of the demolished structure will be left for the owners who say they will be unable to use it further. The demand of either to acquire whole structures or leave them is gaining momentum in the area.

JK Mahajan, a retired senior manager of National Insurance Company and a resident of Bagni village near here, lamented that he had built his house around 30 meters away from the NH-154 but now the NHAI had worked out that half of his building would be acquired. “What will I do with the remaining portion of my house after its demolition by the NHAI,” he questioned.

Similarly, houses of Mandan Mohan of Nagni, Surinder Kumar of Bhadwar and Ranbir Singh of Kalera are partially being acquired by the NHAI. They say that the NHAI should take the whole structured area so that they could rehabilitate themselves after shifting from the existing location. The commercial buildings of Baldev Pathania and Sudershan Pathania of Jachh are also being acquired partially by the NHAI. They have also resented partial acquirement of their shops.

Anil Sen, Project Director, NHAI, Palampur, clarified that as per the NHAI norms only the land or building (partial of whole) that was required for the construction of the four lane project was being acquired. “The ownership of the remaining portion of the acquired structures will be of the owners after their demolition by the NHAI,” he said.

933 HIT BY ROAD WIDENING PROJECT

• As per the information, 933 buildings are being acquired for widening of the Pathankot-Mandi NH-154 in Nurpur section
• The people, who are set to lose their buildings partially for the project, are experiencing sleepless nights as they say that their left-out structures will be of no use
• They have demanded that either the whole structures be acquired or they should be left untouched altogether

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