Land losers apprehensive over relief package

The residents of Shiradi and nearby areas who participated in a public hearing convened by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to discuss on the land acquisition for proposed four laning of Hassan-B C Road national highway, though did not oppose the project, expressed apprehension over the compensation package.

In the meeting convened under the supervision of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and chaired by Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim at Shiradi Government Higher Primary School on Thursday, some of the villagers urged the government to distribute proper compensation to the affected families without inordinate delay like in the past. 

To a query by Malnad Jana Hitharakshana Vedike Convener Kishor Shiradi on compensation, the officials made it clear that  the compensation would be given only to those who are residing in private land. “Compensation will not be given to those residing in encroached government land. As the road widening project comes under public cause, it is exempted from the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. The process of valuation of the land has been started and compensation will be distributed before evicting the families,” assured NHAI Technical Manager Shirish Gangadhar.
 When general public complained that the authorities have not informed them about the area they are going to lose because of the project, the officer said that the NHAI has already published 3A notification for the acquisition of non-forest land in February 2013 and a proposal to prepare a draft 3D notification is under process.

 Personal notifications will be issued once the valuation process is completed.Some of the affected families showed no interest to retain few cents of land, which is left over after a large portion of their land is acquired for the project. Hence, the deputy commissioner ordered the NHAI to acquire the left over land too, if it is less than five cents and if the owner insists to acquire it. 

Alleging the NHAI staff of surveying the private land at night, Hamza Nelyadi, one of the project affected persons, said that the land should be surveyed during day time and there was no need to work “secretely.” Two soldiers, including a retired jawan, pleaded before the DC not to acquire their land. Retired soldier George said that he had invested his entire savings to build a new house and he did not want it to be demolished.

Work from Oct 2015

The proposed four-laning work of 134 km stretch between Hassan and B C Road including Shiradi Ghat will be taken up at an estimated project cost of Rs 1,605 crore. With the Central government funded new project expected to start in October 2015, the proposed plan of the PWD to concretize Shiradi Ghat hangs in balance.

The PWD had decided to concretise the ghat section at an estimated project cost of Rs 155 crore, by closing the Shiradi ghat for vehicular movement from December 1. But, with the NHAI’s four-laning project of the NH 75 which comprises of widening Shiradi ghat, scheduled to commence next year, the concretisation project is believed to be of less use. The DC told reporters that the government has not yet taken a call on cancelling the concretisation project.