NHAI submits proposals for bypasses

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 27: The national highway authority of India (NHAI) has submitted land proposals to the Malda land acquisition department for verification of proposed lands to be acquired for two-bypass roads alternative to National Highway 34 at Kaliachak and English Bazaar. In order to avoid congestions on the present N H 34 in English Bazaar town and Kaliachak areas in Malda district the NHAI has prepared fresh alignment under the widening project of this National Highway 34 North 24 Parganas to North Dinajpur with the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank, NHAI officials said. The Malda land acquisition officials have been asked to verify the location of lands and original owners of the lands proposed by the NHAI to start the process of land acquisition. The senior engineer of the Malda NHAI division Mr Srikumar Bhattacharya said that after verification of land proposals and alignments by the competent authority (land acquisition department) the NHAI would publish gazette notification based of National Highway Act 1956 NHAI submits proposals for bypass roads for land acquisition. The NHAI and the state land acquisition department will complete the process phase wise very soon by paying compensation to the landowners, he said. It may be noted that with a view to avoiding congestion of N H 34 at Kaliachak Market place the NHAI would build nearly 7 km long bypass road and similarly more than 10 km long bypass road will be built to avoid the congested N H 34 presently passing through English Bazaar town in Malda. Sources said the NHAI would build fly over for bypass road to avoid any crossing of state highways and rail track for this project. According to the NHAI officials, six more bypass roads will be built in North Dinajpur and a part of Murshidabad districts under the jurisdiction of the Malda NHAI division. After completion of the land survey and finalisation of alignment for bypass roads land proposals have been submitted to the land acquisition department in North Dinjapur and Murshidabad districts, NHAI officials said. The NHAI has planned to build bypass road at two places -- Dhulian and Omarpur under Jangipur subdivision in Murshidabad district and four places including Itahar, Raiganj, Karandighi and Tungidighi in North Dinjapur district. The NHAI officials claimed that the department has started construction of bypass road at Dalkhola in North Dinajpur.