Deputy chief minister TR Zeliang has appealed to Phek District Maytas-Gayatri Damaged Victim Association (PDMGDVA) to understand the state government’s factual position and reconsider its stand to resort to mass agitation from first week of December.
Reacting to the PDMGDVA’s press release wherein it was insinuated that the file for compensation was being withheld and delayed when put up to the deputy chief minister on November 3 for Planning clearance, the deputy chief minister’s office (DyCMO) clarified that the file had never reached the office for such release of fund.
In a statement, DyCMO pointed out that if a precedent was set wherein the state government started paying for land and damage compensation in national highway (NH) projects, the state would not be in position to have any more NH constructions as the state government could never pay to the land owners.
According to DyCMO, PDMGDVA was also well briefed of the high court order of January 30, 2023 wherein the state government was directed to make the first move and submit the assessment and thereafter the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) would sanction the amount and give it to the state government, which would the disburse the amount to the beneficiaries.
The DyCMO said this was order was succinct and there was no room for contest and ambiguity. However, when the ministry gave the sanction on October 27, 2023, there was rider clause that it would recover the compensation amount of Rs 60 crore from the agency charges of the state government, which was basically from the state exchequer.
The DyCMO asserted that this was in contravention to the high court order that did not mention that the burden of compensation would be upon the state government. Moreover, given the financial position of the state government, it could not afford to pay compensation as it was purely a Central subject and precedent could not be set where the state government was made to pay compensation.
Due to this fact, the DyCMO claimed that the state government was corresponding with MoRTH to exempt the state government and not deduct the state’s agency charges to recover the compensation paid by the ministry.
The release further claimed that the deputy chief minister had been fervently pursuing the land compensation issue for the benefit of the people, and recently got the approval of the state cabinet to let the land owners’ claim for compensation in any NH project where land was acquired, adding that a notification would soon be issued in this regard.
Hence, the office appealed to the PDMGDVA to have no misgivings about Zeliang as he was sincerely working for the benefit of the people. Meanwhile, stating that the file for release of compensation had never been put up to the Planning Department for clearance, the DyCMO pointed out that only after resolving the matter of the rider clause in the MoRTH’s sanction order, the department concerned would put up the file for clearance for release of the amount.
The office assured that Planning & Transformation Department would not make delay on such matters of public importance and grievance, and give the necessary clearance.
The office also assured that the NPWD (NH) would continue to sincerely pursue the matter for its resolution at the earliest that would beneficial for the stakeholders and also not burden the state exchequer.