Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, May 23: Residents of Chanderkote staged a protest today against the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the local administration for leasing a parcel of land, originally acquired for road construction, to a non-local individual for setting up a petrol pump.
According to locals, the land in question was acquired by NHAI several years ago for the construction of the four-lane Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44). With the roadwork now complete in the area, the leftover land-situated at a prime location in Chanderkote-is being leased out for commercial use, triggering widespread resentment among the residents. A large number of protestors gathered at the site, where excavation work for the proposed petrol pump had already begun. They raised slogans against NHAI and the Ramban district administration, demanding that any surplus land should be returned to the original landowners or at least leased to local residents.
“We gave our land for national infrastructure, not for private commercial ventures by outsiders,” said one protestor. Others alleged that the land was acquired under duress through Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act and that compensation paid was inadequate. A case challenging the acquisition is currently sub-judice.
The residents warned of intensifying their agitation if the authorities fail to address their concerns. They have appealed for a re-evaluation of the leasing decision, stressing the importance of prioritizing local stakeholders who had sacrificed their land for the highway project.
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