Mizoram CM Announces Upcoming Start of Highway Widening Project

AIZAWL: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma expressed optimism that the widening of a national highway would begin soon. He said that compensation to be provided to the people who have been affected by the project would be worked out shortly as the funds are awaited from the Centre for it.

The Centre has agreed to pay both the state forest department and landowners a total of Rs 1,190 crore as compensation for the highway widening project. NH-6 and NH-306 sections are important links with the rest of India for Mizoram through Assam.

The Centre had cleared the plan for four-laning of NH-306 and NH-6 a few years ago. But the progress was hamstrung by disputes over compensation and land ownership on both highways.

Lalduhoma returned to Aizawl on Saturday after a weeklong visit to the national capital. Speaking to reporters on his return, he said that he had attended recent review meetings for highways chaired by Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The chief minister also separately met the minister and discussed with him the issues plaguing the highway-widening project, such as compensation disputes. He said the projects have been delayed due to problems in getting forest clearances and disputes over the ownership of land and compensation between the state forest department and the landowners of NH-6 and NH-306, especially from Vairengte to Sairang.

Lalduhoma said the forest department claims there are some stretches of land on both sides of the highway, which they claim to be roadside reserve forest, and which, he agreed, were correct. But he insisted that some people lay claims to these plots of lands too, claiming to be paying taxes and to be in possession of genuine documents.

He said they have sought the union minister to provide compensation to both parties to address the long-pending issues and allow the project to take off. Lalduhoma said Gadkari has agreed to sanction Rs 90 crore to the forest department and Rs 1,100 crore to the landowners for the highway project. He said such an arrangement has been made for the first time.

He also said that just a fortnight ago, more than 2,000 land owners on NH-6 and NH-306 agitated in protest for non-clearance of ownership rights to the land.

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