DIBRUGARH, March 2 � More then 800 families of the district along the ongoing National Highway-52(B) project under Trans Arunachal Highway have been crying for justice for more than a year over alleged irregularity in payment of compensation arising out of acquisition of their land and property by the district administration.
The affected pattadars and occupiers of about 900 bighas of land, which the district administration here had acquired for the National Highway project, have failed to understand as to why the rate of compensation against the acquisitioned land was higher for pattadars in Sivasagar district and low for those in Dibrugarh district for the same project.
The affected pattadars of the district have claimed that the Sivasagar district has already paid compensation at the rate of Rs 5 lakh to 8 lakh per bigha for the same NH-52(B) project, whereas Dibrugarh district has fixed the rate much lower than that.
Ever since the detection of abnormality in payment of compensation against the acquisitioned land, the affected families of 45 villages have been compelled to take up agitational programmes seeking justice.
The affected people under the banner of NH-52(B) Khyotigrosto Suraksha Samiti Joutho Mancha today launched a 700-hour sit-in demonstration on the NH-52(B) in the Rajgarh town intersection.
�Forty-five affected villages have been divided into seven zones, and accordingly, one zone will be staging the demonstration for at least four days,� Tulsi Gogoi, one of the leaders of the Mancha, stated.
It may be recalled that the chairperson of the District Legal Services Authority here said that the local administration can sort out the matter with the government at the appropriate level, given that the lands in question had been acquired by the district administration under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act 1894, when the acquisitions ought to have been made under the provisions of the National Highways Act, 1956.
The affected pattadars had earlier sought the intervention of the High Court, after which the matter was referred to the District Legal Services Authority passing through the Member Secretary, Assam State Legal Service Authority and the Deputy Commissioner here.
Following advice from the chairperson of the District Legal Services Authority, it was learned that the Deputy Commissioner has written a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Revenue & DM (LR) Department, seeking necessary directions for taking further action so as to sort out the matter at the earliest.
The State government, however, has remained silent on the matter so far. Agitating members have demanded that the State government must ensure justice to the affected villagers.
