Assam: NHAI-affected people of Dima Hasao stage dharna seeking compensation

OUR CORRESPONDENT

HAFLONG: NH-27 remained blocked for hours as the NHAI-affected people of Dima Hasao, under the leadership of NC Hills Indigenous Students Forum and NC Hills Indigenous Women Forum, staged an indefinite dharna with their four-point charter of demands at Jatinga point on Tuesday.

The agitators concluded their dharna after taking a resolution to stop construction works between Nriambanglo and Harangajao of National Highway 27 from today. Later, they also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the District Commissioner, Dima Hasao, as an intimation of the indefinite dharna. The memorandum maintained that the NC Hills Indigenous Students Forum (NCI-IISF), the Indigenous Women Forum (NCHIWF), and the Gaon Buras wished to draw his kind attention to the urgent need for resolving the following issues, which are severely affecting the people of the district.

(1) Immediate payment of NHAI-affected compensation as assured by the Chief Minister on January 23, 2022.

It has been a decade since they have been demanding damages caused by the NHAI four-lane construction of their dwelling houses, crop plantations, paddy fields, etc. The NHAI authorities assured them that if the Railways paid compensation, they would do the same. Unfortunately, even after the Railways paid compensation in March 2020, NHAI backtracked from their assurances.

(2) Immediate release of compensation for land acquired within the Right of Way (ROW). The compensation for land acquired within the ROW has not been paid even after a year. The district administration and NHAI authorities assured that payment would be made immediately, based on which the affected landowners allowed construction work in good faith. Now, their lands and houses have been damaged, yet there is a delay in compensation. If payment is not made immediately, they will be forced to halt further construction work on their lands, they said.

(3) Blacktopping of Jatinga to Miyungkro (NH27) for public safety and connectivity. The Jatinga to Miyungkro stretch of NH27 is in a severely deteriorated condition.

(4) Strict traffic control on overloaded trucks to prevent road damage and traffic congestion.

Also Read: Assam: Gauhati High Court Directs Centre, NHAI to Clarify Alignment of NH 715

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