NCRTC seeks direct land purchase policy for Haryana RRTS corridors

Corporation flags delays under RFCTLARR Act, seeks faster acquisition for two Namo Bharat corridors; proposal under state government review.

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has asked the Haryana government to approve a direct purchase policy for land acquisition for two Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors, citing the need to expedite project execution.

Move aims to speed up acquisition for SKK-Panipat-Karnal and Gurugram-Bawal corridors. DPRs approved; proposal under consideration. (HT Archive)

In a February 19 communication to the state government, NCRTC managing director Shalabh Goel said the existing land acquisition process under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013, is time-consuming and could delay the projects. “In view of the importance, scale, and time-bound nature of the Namo Bharat RRTS projects, it is respectfully requested that a similar direct purchase policy may kindly be considered and approved for land acquisition for the Namo Bharat RRTS corridors as well,” Goel said.

The request follows Haryana’s recent approval of a direct purchase policy for Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL), which allows land procurement through mutual negotiations with landowners via a district land purchase committee headed by the deputy commissioner. GMRL has already initiated the process and held meetings with landowners.

According to NCRTC, detailed project reports (DPRs) for the Sarai Kale Khan (SKK)-Panipat-Karnal and SKK-Gurugram-Bawal corridors have been approved by the Haryana government and are currently under consideration by the Union government. The Delhi-Gurugram-Bawal corridor spans 93.12km, with 71.14km in Haryana, while the Delhi-Panipat-Karnal corridor spans 136.30km, including 100.15km in Haryana.

The corporation requires 202.98 hectares of government land and 154 hectares of private land for the two corridors. A tender for construction of the Delhi-Gurugram-Bawal corridor is expected to be floated within a month.

A senior HMRTC official said the proposal is under consideration. “The direct land purchase policy for the Gurugram metro has been recently approved to ensure faster acquisition of land and compensation to owners. It will also help in starting the construction work early,” the official said, adding that the town and country planning department is likely to submit a report soon.

As per the revised DPR for the Delhi-Gurugram-Bawal corridor, land acquisition is planned between December 2025 and November 2027. Preliminary investigation and detailed design will run concurrently, followed by construction of elevated structures between August 2026 and August 2030 and underground works till January 2031. Track laying, signalling and related works are scheduled for completion by June 2031, with testing between May and October 2031 and commissioning by November 2031.