Land acquired but 111 families without compensation for 12 yrs
Rs 30 cr compensation of public unpaid in SSD Bhallesa
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 14: Even after 17 long years of work, the link between Bhaderwah and Bhallesa (Gandoh) Sub Divisions of district Doda via Jai valley, could not be established by the J&K R&B Department due to very slow progress, lack of monitoring by the higher authorities and poor flow of funds for this important road project.
It is amazing to observe that the R&B department acquired about 265 kanals of land of the villagers for the construction of this important road link, but 111 families are still waiting for the payment of the land compensation worth crores for the last nearly 12 years. These hapless poor villagers who lost their lands and some even their houses while conducting earth work by the agency, have been moving from pillar to the post for the land compensation amount to the offices of R&B and Revenue department but they are told every time by the ‘officials concerned’ that their cases have been sent to the higher authorities for sanction. Even at Deputy Commissioner’s office at Doda, they were receiving the similar response.
Official sources told the Excelsior that conceived with the initiative of former Union Minister and top Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who himself hails from this area, the work on this road gained momentum when Azad himself was the Chief Minister in J&K. Azad had created Special Sub Division for Gandoh (Bhallessa) for the purpose of expediting work on the road project, besides other several link roads of this belt. But this project became the victim of political wrangles and other reasons, like lack of funding, poor monitoring, besides delay in the Forest clearance. About 97,000 population of Bhallessa area has been suffering due to prolonged delay in completion of this road.
SDM Gandoh (Bhallesa), Prittam Thappa disclosed that total 264 kanals and 18 marlas land has been acquired for this nearly 37 kms road from Gandoh to Jai. From Jai to Bhaderwah about 25 kms road length is already operational. The road is not operational till today. It is fair weather being snowbound for several months and yet to be black topped.
Thappa further revealed that in Gandoh Sub Division alone, the total land compensation liability of the R&B is as on date towards local population is worth over Rs 30 crores. He said out of the 264.18 kanals land acquired for Gandoh-Jai Road, the final award has been issued for the land measuring 180 kanals and award acquisition under process is for 84.18 kanals. Out of the awarded amount worth Rs 1.65 crores, funds to the tune of Rs 1.32 crores stand disbursed. Besides pending amount worth Rs 33 lakhs, additional amount of Rs 5 crores is required for clearing the public liability of land. He said land compensation worth cores is also pending for Kahra-Jai-Bhaderwah Road link which would minimize distance between Bhaderwah-Thathri and Kishtwar via Jai.
Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Dr Pawan Kotwal, when contacted said as and when the files pertaining to the land compensation are cleared by the concerned Tehsildars and Deputy Commissioners, the same are forwarded to his office. He said in some cases for this particular case, the compensation has already been cleared and he would expedite the process of clearance of the pending files in his office. He claimed that these old pending compensation cases will be cleared shortly.
Chief Engineer, R&B Jammu, Des Raj Bhagat admitted that the work on this road project was delayed and deadlines could not be achived, But he claimed that for the last 2-3 years, after seeking clearance from the Forest department between Jai and Rajpura thick forest patch of about 9 kms length, the work has gained some momentum. He said a separate Special R&B Sub Division (SSD) has been created by the Govt only to speed up road works in this remote Sub Division of Doda.
Executive Engineer, SSD Gandoh (Bhalessa), MK Bikram revealed that earlier for some time this road from Gandoh to Rajpura also remained under JKPCC but later handed over to R&B. But prior to this from zero to 3 kms, it was under R&B. He disclosed that Rs 26.20 crore have been spent on this road under first phase from Gandoh to Rajpura (up to 18 kms). A major bridge has also been built on this patch. For second phase from Rajpura to Jai, Rs 9.50 crore have been sanctioned. Out of this Rs 3.07 crore have been spent so far. A total Rs 35.70 crores road project is likely to be completed by next one year time and the upgradation project of this road, is also being submitted to the Govt after some time as the existing road will be single-link only, the X-En said.
While citing the reason behind the delay, the Executive Engineer passed on the buck to the Revenue and Forest authorities. He said the land acquisition process by the Revenue authiorities and long delay by State Forest department in giving forest clearance, consumed much time. Moreover, slow flow of funds during past is also said to be the one of the reasons behind delay. A major portion of the area remains snow bound during winters, therefore, for the 4-5 months, the work can not be executed on this link, Bikram maintained.
A noted social activist Tara Singh Bhall from Rajpura (Bhallesa) said that this road was sanctioned during 2003 when Prof Chaman Lal Gupta was the MP. The work on first three kms under PWD (R&B) went on snails pace and it could not be completed even in four years. There was an important bridge also under this patch which took over eight-nine years for completion. Annoyed over the very slow progress of work, the then Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad created Special Sub Division Gandoh making an Executive Engineer head of the SSD, Gandoh (Bhallessa). From Gandoh to Rajgarh 18 kms fair weather road has been completed and from Rajgarh to Jai, the earthwork has been completed and the road has been turned motorable (fair weather), but it has not been mattled and macadamized.
Tara Singh further said majority of the families whose lands have been acquired by the R&B Department for this road, have not been paid the land compensation for the last 12 years. He said 111 cases of the poor people from Rajpura, Chilli, Pingal, Ludoo, Rela, Khadangal and Chamanwari villages enroute are pending with the Financial Commissioner Revnue, for the last many years. This amount is in crores. For the years, the villagers files remained lying in the office of Tehsildar Bhallesa and then Deputy Commissioner, Doda. It is surprising that the land of the poor people has been acquired and alignment of the road cleared by the agency, but they are left unpaid for the last over a decade. Even the public representatives are least bothered about the public plight, he added.
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