E-Paper
Mohali greenfield alignment project: NHAI smells rat in ₹263-crore jump in land acquisition cost
NHAI approaches Punjab and Haryana high court seeking probe as land acquisition cost went up despite its objections to initial assessment of ₹922 crore
In a significant development in the Greenfield Alignment project, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has approached the Punjab and Haryana high court, questioning and seeking a probe into the ₹263-crore increase in the land acquisition cost in respect of the 30-km stretch between Mehmadpur, Ambala, and IT City, Mohali.
The road will further connect to the 32-km stretch till Kurali. Once complete, the corridor will help ease traffic in Chandigarh and Zirakpur by serving as an alternative route for those heading from Delhi towards Himachal Pradesh, and J&K.
According to NHAI’s plea in the high court, the then land acquisition officer (LAO)-cum-district revenue officer (DRO), Mohali, Gurjinder Singh Benipal, in May-July 2021, had assessed the land acquisition cost for the 30-km stretch at ₹922 crore, which was objected to by the NHAI, as higher than the market rates, which should not be more than ₹700 crore.
NHAI submitted that Benipal was transferred to Moga on October 28, 2021, and the very next day, on October 29, a meeting was held with the NHAI officials, Punjab chief secretary, Mohali deputy commissioner and the new DRO in attendance.
At the meeting, it was informed that the award will be finalised by November 15, 2021.
However, on the same day, through an e-mail, NHAI was informed that the land acquisition cost had already been finalised on September 30, 2021, as ₹1,185 crore. The authority’s counsel, senior advocate Chetan Mittal, told the court that the anomaly was raised with the Punjab chief secretary, but no action had been taken.
Posting the matter for May 11, the high court bench of justice Ritu Bahri and justice MI Mehta asked the Punjab state counsel to inform the court about action taken by the chief secretary.
Notably, NHAI has already given a nod for a four-fold hike in the land acquisition compensation for the 32-km stretch between Mohali and Kurali.
The notification for acquisition of land for the 30-km stretch between Ambala and Mohali was issued in December 2020. The six-lane project is being constructed under the central government’s Bharatmala Pariyojna..
