Joint Action Committee (JAC) Wokha village issued 20-day ultimatum to the deputy commissioner of Wokha- NH-2 project
DIMAPUR — Identifying “several discrepancies” during a joint inspection along NH-2, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Wokha village on Tuesday issued a 20-day ultimatum to the deputy commissioner of Wokha to remove encroachments within the right of way (ROW) to ensure the project’s completion.
The JAC was accompanied by members from the district administration, the concerned department, and contractor (TTC Infra India) during the joint inspection.
“This process uncovered several inconsistencies and discrepancies at 106 different locations, which we believe require immediate attention,” JAC stated in a letter to the deputy commissioner.
“Our recent inspection revealed instances of potential irregularities in the compensation estimates provided to the landowners, suggesting possible duplication and forgery,” it alleged.
It said in the project’s initial stages, affected landowners claimed compensation and in response, the government allocated and disbursed over INR 18 crore to these individuals.
“We are particularly concerned by the discovery that some beneficiaries, having received substantial compensation, have constructed structures dangerously closed to or encroaching upon the pavement. Additionally, we observed that several compensated lands remained untouched, which brings the validity and integrity of the compensation process into question,” it read.
As per compensation agreement, it said land owners had ceded specific distances for the right of way (ROW).
“However, our inspection identifies structures infringing upon these provisions,” it claimed.
Furthermore, it said the contractor had taken “advantage of this situation”, constructing the pavement in an ‘undulating or winding pattern whenever land owners refused to surrender the compensated land, instead of reporting to the concerned authority’.
“This resulted in an irregular alignment more reminiscent of a village road than the smooth, straight alignment expected of a National Highway. This apparent discrepancy raises doubts about the intended use of the acquired land and the effectiveness of the compensation agreement,” it read.
It asked the DC to instruct the contractor to utilise the compensated land as intended, to correct the pavement alignment, and to reconstruct the substandard breast walls, retaining walls and culverts. “Moreover the practice of subletting to a second party should cease immediately as it contributes to the evident poor quality of work. The relocation of utility (electric/telecom) poles also needs to be addressed within the stipulated date. Given these significant concerns, we recommend suspending further construction until these issues are rectified to our satisfaction,” it stated.
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“The negligence exhibited by the district administration and PWD (NH) officials in clearing all occupied spaces along the ROW is concerning. These extend to landowners who, despite receiving compensation, continue to erect structures within these spaces. Some have even declined to provide space for the ROW, thereby undermining the effectiveness of the compensation process.
“This negligence suggests one of the two possibilities; either the affected landowners did not receive full compensation, or there is a more complex conspiracy at play. This issue demands your immediate attention,” read the statement.
