JAC halts NH-2 expansion work...Citing delay in arbitration process
Source: The Sangai Express
Senapati, April 05 2023:
The Joint Action Committee of the affected land owners of Changoubung to Mayangkhang Khunou stretch, Imphal-Kohima road has banned the work for expansion of NH-2 (Package 4A) from today.
BK John, convenor of the JAC said the expansion work was "halted" after a two-week ultimatum served to the authorities concerned on March 21 to begin arbitration process went unheard.
Until the arbitration process is carried out, all works along the stretch from Changoubung to Mayangkhang Khunou will be banned, BK John declared.
He added that the move to ban the work was imposed after repeated appeals went unheard.
John said the affected landowners are not happy with the rate of compensation fixed by the authorities concerned.
The rate of compensation first fixed was Rs 30.97/sqft, which the landowners said was "inadequate".
Denouncing the rate fixed, the beneficiaries had refused to accept the compensation, he said, adding earlier there was no arbitrator to settle the issue.
On July 31, 2021, an MoU was signed between the affected landowners and the authorities concerned and it was agreed that an arbitrator would be appointed and the rate of compensation would be decided through due arbitration process.
He said, on October 16, 2021, the State Revenue Department nominated one retired IAS officer as the arbitrator, but this was rejected by the Centre based on the criteria that the arbitrator should be a serving IAS officer.
After almost eight months, on June 1, 2022, a serving IAS officer was then nominated and this was approved by the Centre.
Even after the arbitrator was appointed, the JAC and the entire affected landowners who were expecting an invitation for the arbitration process were not called to the table.
Repeated appeals went unheard and then on November 19, 2022, the JAC then served an ultimatum to the authorities concerned warning them of an intense democratic agitation.
As the authorities failed to respond, the JAC put a ban on all works on the section of the highway until it received an arbitration notice on December 7, 2022, John said.
However, unfortunately, the due process of arbitration never actually began and this prompted the JAC to serve the latest ultimatum on March 21 giving the authorities concerned two weeks time to begin the arbitration process.
As the authorities concerned failed to respond, the JAC and the affected landowners were compelled to ban all works on the section of the highway, John said.
The affected landowners fear that they will be betrayed and the arbitration will lapse, he added.