Nagaland organisation writes to Gadkari over non-payment of compensation to people affected by road project

DIMAPUR — The Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO) Committee on 2-Lane Road in Phek district, Nagaland, has submitted a representation to the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Jairam Gadkari on Friday over non-compliance to High Court order on payment of compensation to people affected by road projects.

The committee reminded that the CPO had filed a PIL in 2019 on behalf of ‘landowners whose properties were damaged during the execution of 2-Lanning Chakhabama-Zunheboto Road and Pfutsero-Phek Road under SARDP-NE (Phase A) in Nagaland’, pleading compensation for the damage caused as per the joint assessment conducted by the state authorities, aggrieved members and local administrative bodies.

According to the representation, the court had passed a judgment in favour of the PIL on January 30, 2023, directing the payment of compensation within six months from the date of its ruling. Following no response for three months, the matter was taken up with the chief secretary of Nagaland, who immediately wrote to the Ministry on May 12, after which some CPO members and PIL petitioners apprised the Ministry ‘about the 10-year-long grievances of the poor victims’ on May 31, it said.

With the 6-month period allotted by the court having expired on July 30, it submitted a representation to the state government on August 10 and then on the 18th, over the delay in the process, to which the state government promptly submitted the proposal to the Ministry on the same day, but “the matter is still pending”, read the representation.

‘It is most disappointing that a welfare government led by BJP in the Centre and its alliance in the State are seemingly playing around with the long-felt sufferings and needs of thousands of poor victims whose permanent cultivation and habitation are permanently damaged, forcing many to migrate to urban areas for daily wages and livelihood, and whose children have had abandoned their schooling for years together,’ it stated.

It went on to say that with no option left, a contempt of court had been filed on the matter “but without moving it further hoping that your intervention as Union Minister of MoRTH even at this stage will certainly settle the pending matter without further delay, thereby avoiding the extremity of contempt”.

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