Phek, September 19 (MExN): Following the approval of the project to widen the two-lane National Highway under Phase B of the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme (SARDP) in the Secheku area of Phek district, a conglomeration of landowners from six villages have raised concerns on the issue of land compensation on Saturday.
A press release from the group calling itself the NH-29 Two Lane Affected Land Owners Committee, Secheku Area (NH-29 TLALOCSA) stated that the Phek Deputy Commissioner and his subordinate officers delegated to oversee the project have “repeatedly claimed that there is no land compensation” in a series of notifications and meetings.
It claimed that the administration had convinced Village Council Chairmen to sign No Objection Certificates, wherein condition number one stated that “No land compensation shall be claimed by the landowners for land to be utilized for this project.”
In this regard, the committee opined that this not only has detrimental effects and negates the affected landowners’ right to fair compensation under the provision but also contradicts with the explicit provisions of the final Detailed Project Report, Chapter 1 & 2 of the Land Acquisition for National Highways Under the National Highways Act, 1956 as well as the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (Removal of Difficulties) 2015.
“The committee questioned on what ground the authorities in concern has suppressed and misinterpreted the information about the land compensation when clearly mentioned and provided for in all the official documents,” the release stated.
While appreciating the Government of India and Government of Nagaland for approving the project, the committee put across that “the ownership of land and its resources belong to individuals and this position has been clearly defined and protected by Article 371-A (IV) of the Constitution of India and more so, as per sub-section 2 of the Nagaland, Land and Revenue Regulation (Amendment Act) 1978.”
Further, it asserted that “there is no waste land or community land and every inch of land has its value,” and that people continue to practice traditional shifting cultivation by using the land from time to time land for agricultural allied and horticultural production, social forestry etc,. for sustenance.
“Besides, historical monoliths which are laying along the stretches of the NH 29 need to be preserved as they are of great significant and proscribed to be displaced or removed according to our customs and traditions,” it claimed.
As such, the committee asserted that any damages to be caused to any valuable standing structures, agriculture, horticulture, social forestry, fisheries and any other allied products laying above or below the road and the land, “must be assessed for compensation.”
It maintained that the district administrative officers did not invite the landowners for talks even once in spite of their willingness to part with their land for development. If sidelined further and not taken into confidence and compensated as per the provision, then the NH-29 TLALOCSA will be compelled to fight for their rights legally, stated the release which was issued by Convenor Zechete Mekrisuh and Secretary Kolo Thele.
It appealed for transparency and justice to prevail so that the execution of the NH-29 project is not hampered and completed within the stipulated time frame.
