DIMAPUR — The civil society organisations (CSO) of Peren town and the Peren Village Council (PVC) have clarified that although it was not their intention to cause inconvenience to commuters of the NH-129 A by imposing a blockade, they were compelled to do so.
In a press release, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) NH-129 A (Peren Town Portion), said that the blockade of a stretch of the route began on July 31 to protest the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL)’s lackadaisical attitude towards the legitimate rights of the stakeholders.
It stated that the protest is directed solely at the NHIDCL for its reluctance to construct the national highway as per the original DPR and contract agreement for the 2.8 km stretch of the Peren town portion.
In 2018, when the initial survey for the construction of NH-129 was conducted, the landowner village submitted a proposal to NHIDCL to construct the road bypassing the main town. However, it was rejected on the grounds that the road should be constructed within the scope of the existing alignment.
“We welcomed the decision and issued NOC (No Objection Certificate) for the whole stretch of road without even claiming land compensation,” it said, adding that the DPR for the project, the land acquisition plan (LAP), the marking for the right-of-way (RoW), and all other required technical matters were conducted under the direction and supervision of NHIDCL, and there was no negative report regarding the technical feasibility of the town portion.
The committee alleged that the RoW was reduced during the second assessment, which was against the DPR and contract agreement and without proper consultation with stakeholders. It added that a third assessment was conducted, but no sanction was accorded and the matter remained pending.
As a result, the JAC sought the intervention of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and the then UDA chairman T R Zeliang, following which Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Nitin Gadkari communicated to the CM in June last year to acquire 18m RoW in the Peren town portion and hand over the RoW encumbrance free within 30 days, it stated.
Accordingly, a fourth damage assessment was conducted and submitted to the state government, which, after review, accepted the report of the damage assessment committee and forwarded it to the NHIDCL for sanction.
But an apparent negative report by the then executive director of NHIDCL Kohima, MS Deol, led to unwanted apprehension for sanction of the damage compensation amount, the JAC claimed, adding that thereafter, the implementing agency carried out a technical feasibility survey instead of accepting the report of the state government and honouring the direction of the union minister.
The JAC alleged the people of Peren waited to brief about the situation to the director (technical) of NHIDCL during his visit on November 24, 2022, ‘but he did not bother to step down from his car’ and the people of Peren were denied their due development as per the DPR and contract agreement.
The CSO and landowner village of Peren town urged the NHIDCL to keep its word to build the road within the specified RoW and not consider an alternate route to bypass the town.
The JAC further stated that the stakeholders are willing to part with their land for free and even let their properties be damaged without any objections for the greater good of the people.
It also appealed that the work be carried out in accordance with the direction given by the union minister for a built-up area of 2.5 kilometres (Peren town portion) and 300 metres (Peren Kipeuzang) and that the ‘people will not accept anything less than this, will stand firm for justice, and intensify agitation if circumstances so require’.
