For the first time, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will provide compensation to two parties claiming the same land to proceed with the construction of a four-lane highway between Vairengte and Sairang in Mizoram, news agency IANS reported officials as saying on Sunday.
A Mizoram government official revealed that the long-standing compensation dispute was resolved during a meeting between the Chief Minister and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi last week.
The planned 132 km four-lane highway between Vairengte, near the Assam border, and Sairang, near Aizawl, is a critical surface link between Mizoram’s capital and the rest of the country.
Currently, the area is connected by a double-lane highway through National Highway-306 via Assam.
“Due to the prolonged deadlock over compensation to two landowners of the same land, the construction work for the highway linking Vairengte and Sairang could not commence for years,” the official stated.
Confirming MoRTH’s decision to compensate both landowners, the Chief Minister said the Central government has agreed to pay compensation to both parties and the state’s Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department.
He announced that the Forest Department will receive Rs 90 crore as compensation, while the two landowners will be awarded Rs 110 crore.
The highway project had been delayed due to unresolved land ownership disputes between the landowners and the state’s Forest Department.
During the meeting with the Union Minister, the Chief Minister informed him that the highway construction had been stalled as forest clearance had not been secured.
The Supreme Court had earlier instructed Mizoram’s Chief Secretary to seek an alternative solution to the construction deadlock.
Lalduhoma explained that although no policy exists for compensating two parties for the same land, he had requested Nitin Gadkari to approve compensation for both.
“The Minister assured that Rs 90 crore would be provided to the Forest Department, while Rs 110 crore would be allocated to the landowners with valid documents,” the Chief Minister said.