Panchayat pradhans seek fair relief for affected families

Nurpur, March 28

The newly elected pradhans of Kandwal, Pucca Tiyala, Nagarbari, Bassa and Jassur have extended their support to the families affected by the Pathankot-Mandi four-lane project, which are demanding fair land acquisition compensation.

During a meeting at the Nagabari panchayat bhawan, they announced not to issue no objection certificates (NOCs) to the NHAI for the widening of the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway-154.

Karnail Singh of Bassa, Narinder Kumar of Kandwal, Sarita Devi of Pucca Tiyala, Ranjan Mohan of Nagabari and Jyoti Devi of Jassur gram panchayat, in a joint statement issued to the media, said the compensation awards announced by the NHAI’s competent authority for land acquisition (CALA) were too meagre to rehabilitate the affected families.

They said in lieu of the announced compensation, the government should provide equivalent land and buildings to the affected families in Nurpur section from Kandwal to Bhedkhud. They demanded that the NHAI should acquire the entire structures of the affected people and not partial buildings. They questioned the announcement of compensation awards in two phases at different rates. Meanwhile, Darbari Singh, president of the Four-Lane Sangharsh Samiti, thanked the panchayat pradhans. — OC