Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
highway (symbolic image)
– Image: iStock
expansion
There is anger in the landowners’ association that the impasse over land ownership along the national highway has not been resolved. In this regard, more than two thousand landowners of Kolasiv district have decided to close NH-306 indefinitely from Wednesday. After that, Mizoram will lose contact with the rest of the country.
The leader of the landowners’ association said that they demand that the government resolve the land ownership issues along the highway and lift the freeze order. Apart from this, the issue of canceling the roadside forest reserve notification from 1965 also arises. But the government has not been able to take any decisive step in this regard.
James Vanlaringa, president of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Kolasib District Landowners Association, said the Center had approved four-laning of NH-6 as well as NH-306 a few years ago. Its work was entrusted to the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). But the work could not start due to the dispute between the Mizoram Forest Department and the Revenue Department.
Vanlalringa claimed that when the process of releasing compensation after land acquisition was underway, the state forest department declared 800 meters of land on both sides of the highway as roadside reserve forest based on a 1965 notification. Two and a half thousand people have land along NH-306 and NH- 6 between the town of Vairangte on the Mizoram-Assam border and Mualkhang in Kulasib district.
He said NH-306 and NH-6 are interconnected and connect the northeastern state to the rest of the state through Assam. The government has not been able to solve their problem even after three years. The issue was discussed with the state forest minister, Lalthansanga and the deputy commissioner of Kolasiv, but the meetings remained inconclusive. He said that we have now decided to close NH-306 at Sethon indefinitely. We have no choice but to put pressure on the government. However, vehicles carrying essential services will be exempted during the band.
Mizoram Forest Minister Lalthansanga said that the state government is making every possible effort to solve this problem. Had a meeting with the heads of the association and informed them of the steps taken by the government. Lalthansanga urged them to call off the agitation and wait for the court’s order in the matter. The Supreme Court recently directed the Guwahati High Court to decide the appeal against the 1965 notification. The court also suggested the Chief Secretary of Mizoram to hold a meeting with the Secretaries of the Forest Department and the Revenue Department to resolve the dispute.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://www.amarujala.com/india-news/landowners-association-to-go-ahead-with-national-highway-blockade-from-wednesday-2024-09-24
