STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Opposition Congress in Assam on Friday questioned the rationale behind giving a huge amount of compensation to tea gardens by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for acquiring the gardens’ land for the purpose of four-laning of highways from Nagaon to Dibrugarh.
Vice Chairman of Tea Cell of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee Bhagirath Karan told The Sentinel that the NHAI has so far given compensation to the tune of Rs 292 crore to tea gardens owners for acquiring the latter’s land. The NHAI has so far acquired 1324 bighas of land from gardens.
“The maximum number of tea gardens is given land on lease by the State Government for the purpose of cultivation. So how can the tea gardens owners have the right to receive compensation amount from NHAI? The compensation amount should have gone to the government’s exchequer instead of the tea gardens. Some amount could have been given to tea gardens for the purpose of planting trees as the land acquisition by the NHAI has destroyed some forests cover along the gardens,” Karan said, adding that an inquiry must be ordered to find out an alleged unholy nexus between the administration of various districts and political leaders to misuse NHAI’s compensation.
The Congress has also alleged that some tea gardens have sold their lands allotted only for the purpose of tea cultivation to private parties to construct shopping malls and other commercial activities.
On other hand, sources in tea gardens said some gardens have received “periodic pattas” from the government and thus the garden management has the right to receive the compensation amount from the NHAI.