Land acquisition delays highway works
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 11 2022: Incomplete land acquisition process has been delaying expansion and improvement works of National highways even though the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has sanctioned necessary funds for these works.

MoRTH sanctioned necessary funds for expansion/ improvement of Sekmai-Mao section of NH-2, Keithelmanbi-Jiribam section of NH-37, Tadubi-Tolloi-Ukhrul road (NH 102-A) and Maram-Peren road (NH-129A) in 2021-22, informed a well placed source.

All these major roads should be expanded and improved with hard boulders of six feet on both sides.

As the necessary funds had been already sanctioned, NHIDCL, the implementing agency appealed to the State Government to acquire and give them necessary land, according to the source.

Subsequent upon the NHIDCL's appeal, the State Government directed � the concerned Deputy Commissioners to acquire necessary land but the DCs could not complete the land acquisition process in time, said the source.

Even if the land acquisition process was completed in some areas, the newly acquired lands could not be handed over to the NHIDCL as controversies or disputes erupted over these lands.

As a result, all the improvement/expansion works of the four National Highways have been delayed even though these works are supposed to be completed within stipulated periods, added the source.

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