Land acquisition process for Kiratpur Sahib-Nangal four-lane project to start soon
The process for land acquisition for Kiratpur-Nangal four-lane road would be started very soon. The government is going to appoint officials for acquisition of land for the four-lane road project that would be executed by the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI).
Ropar Deputy Commissioner Varjeet Walia said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for four-laning of the Kiratpaur Sahib-Nangal road has been finalised by the NHAI. The government will appoint officials for land acquisition for the project in the next few days, he said.
In a bid to fast-track the much awaited project, Punjab Education Minister and MLA from Anandpur Sahib Harjot Singh Bains held a meeting yesterday and directed the officials concerned to accelerate land acquisition. He said that he would personally review the progress of the project on a weekly basis. Bains claimed that he had met the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, seeking his intervention to expedite the project.
Bains said that it was his dream project as the road was in his Assembly constituency and serves as a vital link between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, particularly given the presence of revered sites such as Anandpur Sahib and Mata Naina Devi temples in the area. Heavy traffic on the Anandpur Sahib-Nangal road has led to many accidents in the last few years, he said.
The four-lane project would lead to displacement of large number of people — who have raised constructions along roadside. Besides, thousands of trees would also be axed along the road stretch from Anandpur Sahib to Nangal.
The Anandpur-Nangal road also has a few remaining forest strips along roads in the state. The environmentalists from the area have requested the Union Ministry for Surface Transport to save as many green trees as possible in designing of the four-lane project.
He directed NHAI officials to promptly initiate work on the Bhartgarh-Bara Pind service lane link, a long-pending project that will greatly benefit local commuters and significantly improve road safety in the area. He also asked the officials to expedite the construction of a foot overbridge in Sarsa Nangal village, a long-pending demand of residents, to ensure their safety and convenience.
