NH-2 work halted over delay in arbitration process
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati, April 05 2023: Joint Action Committee of the affected land owners along the stretch of Changoubung - Mayangkhang Khunou road has stopped all construction works of NH-2 expansion (package 4A) along the Kohima-Imphal road.

The affected land owners staged a protest at Changoubung on Wednesday against delay in arbitration process.

The JAC warned of intensifying its agitation for any further delay in the process and asserted that the ongoing democratic agitation will continue until the completion of the entire arbitration process.

In a press communique, the JAC stated that the then deputy commissioner/CALA fixed the land rate in a very minimum amount of Rs 30.97/sq ft without taking into account the opinion of the affected land owners.

Therefore, the affected beneficiaries refused to accept the compensation award almost more than three months.

It was after a series of meeting and arguments between the CALA and the representatives of the affected land owners, an MoU was signed on July 31, 2021 .

The affected beneficiaries accepted the compensation award after the competent authority had given an assurance that an arbitrator would be appointed and the final land rate would be decided through due arbitration process.

On October 16, 2021, the state revenue department nominated one retired IAS officer to be the arbitrator.

However, the centre rejected that nomination 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 nominated which the centre had also given its approval.

The JAC and the entire affected land owners are expecting an invitation for the arbitration process, but that has never happened.

The JAC had also requested to the appointed arbitrator to start the arbitration on different occasions.

However, the arbitrator has never paid heed to their request.

Therefore, the JAC served an ultimatum on November 19, 2022 with a deadline on November 30, 2022 to launch an intense democratic agitation thereafter.

No positive response was received from the authority concerned.

Therefore, more than a week, the entire highway expansion works were put on halt until they received the arbitration notice on December 7, 2022, the JAC said.

It continued that normal attendance was reportedly been taken in the name of arbitration on different occasions (on December 15, 2022, January 5,2023 and February 7,2023).However, due process of arbitration is yet to begin.

The representatives of the affected land owners had also pleaded to the arbitrator to invite all the related departments and agencies without further delay to complete the arbitration process.

The entire arbitration process was put on halt for almost two months without any valid reason.

Therefore, another ultimatum was served on March 21, 2023, giving a two-week deadline.

And that too received no response, which has caused apprehension among the entire four-lane affected beneficiaries who have felt betrayed and compelled them to launch the democratic agitation, the press communique further said.

Addressing media, BK John, convenor JAC NH-2 Expansion, Pkg-4A (Kohima-Imphal), informed that the agitation was carried out by the affected land owners between the stretch from Changoubung to Mayangkhang Khunou to protest against the non-implementation of the agreed arbitration process.

Ever since 2020, proper compensation has not been given to the said land owners.

An MoU was signed between the previous DC of Kangpokpi and affected land owners regarding appointment of arbitrator.

Despite appointment of arbitrator, nothing has happened to date.

For this reason, all construction works have been stopped with effect from April 5 until arbitration process is carried out.

Placards that read as "No work before Arbitration, Complete arbitration and go for construction", "No work before arbitration, Don't treat our kindness as our weakness" were held by protestors, who also shouted slogans like "Execute arbitration process" and "No arbitration process, No work" .

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