E-Paper
Mohali: NHAI’s ₹700-cr project hits roadblock
Some of the affected landowners demand more compensation for acquisition; Mohali admn puts disbursal on hold
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)’s ambitious project to build a greenfield alignment to decongest the Airport Road in Mohali besides Chandigarh and Zirakpur has hit a hurdle.
Even though the authority has released ₹450 crore to acquire 400 acres of land to construct the 32-kilometre road, affected landowners in Nagiari, Devi Nagar and other villages have raised objections to the compensation being provided for acquisition. The amount ranges from ₹24 lakh to ₹4.12 crore per acre depending upon the location.
A greenfield road is built in an area that has never been developed. The planned road from IT Chowk near the Chandigarh International Airport to the Kurali-Chandigarh road will provide an alternative route to traffic moving between the Delhi side and parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
The NHAI will be acquiring around 400 acres of land in 28 villages for the ₹700-crore project. According to a senior NHAI official, Ashoka Buildcon Limited has been finalised to construct the project. “We have already released ₹450 crore, as per the rate fixed by the land acquisition collector,” he said.
Mohali district revenue officer Gurjinder Singh Benipal said some of the landowners have raised objections over the amount of compensation, as at some places it is just ₹24 lakh per acre.
“They have also given a representation to the authorities concerned, and now the state government is holding talks with the NHAI to increase the compensation. For the time being, we have put the disbursal of money on hold and we are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon,” he said.
The NHAI had come up with this project after scrapping the project to widen the 40-km Kharar-Banur-Tepla road in July 2019, owing to its high cost. Even MP Manish Tewari had taken up the need for an alternative route with Union minister Nitin Gadkari in February 2020.
