Coordination meeting on NH packages held

ITANAGAR, 23 Apr: A coordination meeting was held at the Itanagar capital region (ICR) deputy commissioner’s office here on Friday to discuss issues pertaining to Package B (Papu Nallah to Nirjuli) and Package C (Nirjuli to Banderdewa) of the Itanagar-Banderdewa four-lane road project.

Local MLA Techi Kaso, ICR DC K Dulom, Land Management Special Secretary Talo Potom, Highway EE Nani Tath, corporators and heads of departments attended the meeting.

Later, speaking to the press, Kaso said that the work on the remaining two packages will start as soon as compensation is paid. “The only things that might hamper the start of work are monsoon rain and Covid-19 situation. But still we are hopeful that work will start on a large level in the next three months,” said Kaso.

He made it clear that only genuinely affected people will be paid compensation, and that those who have been left out due to technical issues will be given a chance to raise their

grievances, “and the DC will conduct a hearing to resolve (the grievances).”

Potom informed that the re-verification process for compensation is over.

“Everybody wants the work to start at the earliest and people are cooperating. If everything goes as per plan, land will be handed over to the contractor by the end of this month,” he said.

Regarding the ongoing underpass work in Bank Tinali, Potom assured to hand over the service land within the next few days. “The underpass work has been badly affected by West Bengal and Assam elections. The labourers went home to vote. We did not anticipate this and it affected our whole plan of action,” said Potom.

Dulom informed the press that “the hearing of grievances placed by the land affected people will start from Monday onwards.” He further said that several important decisions were taken during the meeting “and it will start having effect on ground soon.”