Statesman News Service
MALDA, 9 DEC: The Malda district magistrate, Mr Sridhar Ghosh, has convened a meeting on 16 December with Mr Goutam Datta, project director, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) ~ Project Implementing Unit (PIU) in Malda, to sort out the problem of land acquisition for a bypass of National Highway 34.
According to the additional district magistrate (land reforms) Mr K N Dew, the objective of the meeting is to learn the alignment for the North-South Corridor through Malda district and land acquisition for the proposed widening of the NH 34 and its bypass. Locals’ protests have held up land acquisition for both projects.
In a follow up to the meeting with the NHAI authority, the district administration would hold a meeting with the political parties and the agitators. The proposed bypass would branch off the highway at Jadupur in the southern end of Malda and connect with Narayanpur in the northern end, covering more than nine kms.
It may be noted that backed by the CPI-M, the residents of Jadupur-I gram panchayat in English Bazaar block of the district staged a demonstration in front of the district magistrate's office on 4 December, demanding fresh alignment for the proposed bypass for the NH 34.
Former CPI-M MLA and a JKJBNARC leader Mr Samar Roy alleged that the NHAI has changed the previous alignment of the proposed bypass to save existing buildings of influential and monied people along the highway. “The change in the alignment would affect about 300 poor families living in Gabgachhi-Jadupur village,” he alleged.
The agitators have united under the banner of ‘Jadupur-I Krishi Jami O Bastuhara Nagarik Adhikar Raksha Committee’ and submitted an eight-point charter of demands including an alternative alignment proposal for the proposed project. Taking a cue, the people of Narayanpur in Old Malda and other villages in Kaliachak have united to resist the land acquisition process as well making land acquisition a problem for the facility.
No comments:
Post a Comment