• Clarifies file ‘never reached’ office
• Urges PDMGDVA to reconsider proposed stir
Kohima, November 26 (MExN): The Office of the Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland and Minister In-charge of Planning & Transformation and National Highway today denied insinuation that the file for land compensation is being ‘withheld and delayed’ in its office and clarified that such a file has “never reached the Deputy CM’s Office for the release of funds.”
The clarification from the Deputy CM’s Office came after the Phek District Maytas-Gayatri Damaged Victim Association (PDMGDVA) on November 20 maintained that the “file was reportedly put up to the Deputy Chief Minister, Planning, Nagaland for necessary clearance” on November 3. In representation to Nagaland Chief Secretary, the PDMGDVA also accused the State Government itself of “obstructing a time-bound settlement.”
Giving a factual position of the State Government, however, the Deputy CM’s Office also appealed to the association to reconsider its stand to resort to mass agitation starting the first week of December.
According to the clarification, the PDMGDVA is also well briefed about the High Court Order dated January 30, 2023, which directed that the State Government make the first move and submit the assessment report to the union government.
Thereafter, as per the order, the Union Ministry concerned, i.e., the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), would sanction the amount and give it to the State Government, and the latter will disburse the amount to the beneficiaries, it pointed out.
This order is succinct, and there is no room for contest and ambiguity, it added.
However, as per the clarification, when the Ministry sanctioned the amount on October 27, 2023, there was a “rider clause” stating that the MoRTH would recover the compensation amount of Rs 60 crore from the Agency Charges of the State Government, which is basically from the State Exchequer.
This is in contravention of the High Court’s January 30 order as it does not mention that the burden of compensation will be upon the State Government, it said.
Moreover, given the financial position, the State Government cannot afford to pay compensation “whatsoever, as compensation is purely of central subject and precedent cannot be set where the State Government is made to pay for compensation,” it asserted.
In view of the above, the State government is corresponding with the “Ministry to exempt us and not let the State Government’s Agency charges be deducted to recover for the compensation paid by the Ministry,” it added.
It further maintained that the Deputy DM TR Zeliang “has been fervently pursuing for the benefit of the people vis-à-vis the land compensation and has recently got the approval of the State Cabinet to let the landowners claim for compensation in any National Highway where land is acquired for construction and a notification will soon be issued in this regard.”
“Therefore, this Office would like to appeal to the PDMGDVA to have no misgivings about the Deputy Chief Minister as he is sincerely working for the benefit of the people,” the clarification added.
The Deputy CM’s Office further underscored that the file for the release of compensation had never been put up to the Planning department for clearance of the same and noted that only after resolving the matter of the rider clause in the sanction order of the Ministry, the concerned department will put up the file for Planning Clearance for release of the amount.
“And be rest assured that Planning & Transformation Department will not delay on such matters of public importance and grievance and give the necessary clearance,” it assured.
Accordingly, the Deputy CM’s Office appealed to the PDMGDVA to understand the factual position of the State Government and reconsider its proposed stir starting the first week of December.
“If a precedent is set wherein the State Government starts to pay for Land and Damage compensation in National Highway projects, our State will not be in a position to have any more National Highway constructions as the State Government can never pay for the same to the landowners,” it emphasised.
In the meantime, the National Highway (NPWD) will continue to sincerely pursue the matter to be resolved at the earliest, which would be beneficial for the stakeholders and also not burden the State Exchequer, it added.
