MANISH ANAND

The grouse of the landowners is that the government is offering poor compensation

CCL employees insert a water pipe into the ground at Lohagate on NH-33 on Monday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Aug. 10: Land acquisition is delaying the much-awaited four-laning project of NH-33 between Ranchi and Hazaribagh, including a 4km bypass near Kujju, where a portion of the highway caved in yesterday because of a raging underground mine fire.

The public of Deuduar Madanpur and Piyalikhata under Kamalpur revenue circle who had sacrificed their land for the construction of the four-lane highway have expressed strong concern over non-payment of land value till date by the government.

The Prime Minister has constituted a new committee to suggest fast-track mechanisms for the resolution of inter-ministerial issues in road and highway projects that do not require the approval of the Cabinet Committee of Infrastructure.

Reviewing the government

Two days after traffic on the stretch was closed due to an underground fire, a 80-sq ft section of the NH 33 caved in near Kujju in Ramgarh district. Though no one was injured in the incident, the administration has cordoned off a three-sq km area and declared it a

THE GOVERNMENT has signed two agreements with the Asian Development Bank to avail loans of Rs 1,500 crore for improving urban infrastructure and highways in the North East region.
The ministry of finance has signed a Rs 1,000 crore loan for the North Eastern Region Capital Cities Development Investment Programme and another Rs 500 crore for National Highway Corridor.

There have been allegations by No 52 National Highway Land Preservation Demand Committee that the government has shown an apathetic attitude towards them in distribution of compensation to the owners of the acquired land along NH 52 for widening of a 31-km stretch of the highway from Dirak to Rupai.