Land acquisition hurdle holds up road from Gurugram to Jhajjar AIIMS

A senior official with the Public Works Department (PWD) said that the government estimated the land purchase cost at ₹177 crore, but the landowners are demanding ₹876 crore

Gurugram

The AIIMS National Cancer Institute in Bhadsa, Jhajjar. (HT Archive)

Issues with land acquisition have halted a road project plan to connect Dwarka Expressway with the AIIMS National Cancer Institute in Bhadsa, Jhajjar, officials aware of the matter said, adding that landowners were demanding much higher prices than prevalent circle rates.

A senior official with the Public Works Department (PWD) said that the government estimated the land purchase cost at ₹177 crore, but the landowners are demanding ₹876 crore.

“Farmers are demanding that land be purchased on the entire stretch as per the prevailing circle rate along Dwarka Expressway, which is very high. As per the estimates, the demand put by land owners will take the cost of purchase to ₹8 crore to ₹9 crore per acre, taking the total cost of land to somewhere above ₹800 crore, which is much beyond the project cost,” the senior PWD official, requesting anonymity, said.

Charandeep Rana, executive engineer, PWD (B&R), said that the rate demanded by farmers is on the higher and the matter is now under the consideration of the government. “The final decision on this matter will be taken by state government,” he said.

The road construction cost was estimated at ₹272.14 crore, as prepared in 2022. Around ₹206.72 crore of the total estimate was for land acquisition and the rest, for construction.

Officials said this road is needed as currently, residents have to take the road from Basai to Badli to reach the hospital and due to the narrow width of the stretch, there is a lot of congestion.

To build the road, the department had decided to purchase 17.5 acres in Kherki Majra village, 13.37 acres in Dhankot, 24.02 acres in Budhera, 35.6 acres in Mankdola, 6.6 acres in Iqbalpur and 5.24 acres in Bhadsa. Apart from this, 4.847 acres in Bhadsa gram panchayat, and 3.275 acres in Iqbalpur, Mankdola and Kherki Majra gram panchayats are to be acquired to construct the road.