Correspondent
RUKSIN, 15 Mar: The aggrieved Railway Project Affected Land Owner Association of East Siang district on Monday appealed to Chief Minister Pema Khandu to review the rate fixed for the land acquired from them for the extended Murkongselek-Pasighat broad gauge railway project (Phase-II).
The association’s president Gagam Ering and vice president Omir Tatin met Khandu in Namsai and apprised him of the anguish of the affected people over the reduced land value. The duo appealed to the chief minister to retain the earlier land value for payment of compensation.
It is pertinent to mention that the affected families of Phase-I of the project were paid land compensation @ Rs 891 per sq mtr along with 100 percent solatium and 12 percent interest per square metre of land. Even the state’s industry department received Rs 13.46 crore from the railway authority as land compensation @ Rs 891 per sq mtr for the industry land acquired for the rail project in Niglok (Phase-I).
Later, the state government reduced the rate to Rs 463.59 per square metre of land in Phase-II of the project.
The state government through a notification fixed the land value @ 463.59 per square metre, without using the multiplication of Factor-2 (as described in the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013).
It is alleged that the government by issuing the new notification not only reduced the land value but also deprived the affected families of the benefits of 100 percent solatium, 12 percent interest and multiplication of Factor 2 for the land acquired from them, which they termed a “discriminatory’ policy adopted by the government.
Reportedly, the CM assured the affected parties that he would look into matter and take early steps to redress their grievance.
