Litan village chief smells rat, calls for prompt justice
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, July 03 2021: The ongoing land acquisition process for widening of NH-202 road in Ukhrul district has apparently run into trouble as allegations of conspiracy against administrative officials are cropping up in connection with payment of compensation for affected lands in Litan village under Ukhrul block.

The shady state of affairs in the ambiguous highway project came to the fore during a joint official survey of the lands being acquired for the construction conducted by Ukhrul district administration and NHIDCL and officials in the presence of affected landowners at Litan areas on Saturday.

Litan village chief Deepak Vashum questioned the rationale behind excluding his village in the compensation process even as a large area of lands measuring 400 metres in his village have been acquired for the ongoing road works.

He raised the question during a brief interaction attended by DC Joseph Pauline Kamson, SDO Ukhrul Christianhome Huileng, AC Kachamthai, Ukhrul SP Saujanya Singh, SDC Tennyson Khaleng and NHDICL Ukhrul GM John and villagers at Litan PS campus.

Contending that no mention of Litan village was found in any of the official orders except Litan Shareikhong and Monkot Chepu, the village chief said that he had even written a petition to DC Ukhrul for prompt justice and rectification on the matter.

"From the beginning, we have been apprising and petitioning the authorities concerned but our grievances have not been entertained.

I have not even received any official document inviting my presence in the joint survey and inspection scheduled to be held on July 3.However, the order No 10/157/2020-REV (U) Pt/0275 mentions all concerned village headmen and my presence is thereby mandated," Vashum rued.

In response, SDC Tennyson Khaleng said that survey/verification have been conducted after receiving the complaints and will issue an order in this connection.

He assured the aggrieved petitioner of rectifying the land acquisition and compensation process in due course.

According to Vashum, Litan is his village and he is the headman of the village.

"I have my own patta land.

I have my own Douzi bearing No 36 issued by SDO Ukhrul in 1956 through an Extraordinary Gazette," he said.

Raising doubt over the exclusion of his village in the compensation, he asked as to why the administrative officials concerned have failed to intimate him or give him a chance to give his voice to the ongoing land acquisition and compensation process despite his village being recognised as a revenue village by the government.

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