NHAI plans to remove Gurdaspur from Delhi-Katra expressway route

Ravi Dhaliwal

Gurdaspur, June 13

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is looking at an alternative route to construct the Delhi-Katra expressway if the protests by farm unions in Gurdaspur district continue.

For the past few months, various unions have been protesting against the “low rate of compensation being awarded to them” by the NHAI for acquiring their land.

LOOKING for alternative route

The process to identify an alternative route has already begun. This will be a setback for the border district as development initiatives in any area are invariably based on the network of good roads.

A senior official confirmed that they are in talks with the unions. “However, if they continue with the protests, we may be forced to remove Gurdaspur district from the original route,” the official added.

The process of identifying an alternative route has already begun. This would be a setback for the border district as development initiatives in any area are invariably based on a network of good roads.

The process of acquiring land is the responsibility of the district administration. SDM Amandeep Kaur Ghuman said a total of 1,700 farmers, whose land is to be taken over, had been identified.

“A majority of them have already been paid compensation. The process to pay the others is on,” she said, adding, “There are many people whose landholdings are reflected in revenue records. However, we are unable to trace them. Some have settled abroad. This development makes our task all the more arduous.”

The unions, led by Sarwan Singh Pandher, president of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharash Committee, are in no mood to relent. DC Himanshu Aggarwal exuded optimism and said talks are on. However, with the agriculturists being adamant, his optimism may turn out to be misplaced.

“The unions have already harassed the public a lot by regularly blocking roads and rail tracks. They are now planning to intensify their agitation,” said an official.

The litchi growers of Pathankot will be among the worst hit if the project gets stalled.

They were viewing the expressway as their El-Dorado. “Litchi being a highly perishable fruit, the expressway would have increased our profits manifold because of the double quick time in which our trucks would have reached Delhi,” said Daljit Singh Lally Cheema, a litchi grower.

Observers say it will be a sad day for an underdeveloped border district like Gurdaspur if the expressway is re-routed. “With the expressway could have come big ticket projects and with these projects, could have come prosperity,” said an administration official.