Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 20 Jul: The families affected by the construction of the Chiquenty-Walong-Namti defence road in Anjaw district have expressed apprehension over the land acquisition rate fixed by the district administration and “non-inclusion and undervaluation” of horticulture and agriculture crops and structural properties for compensation.
In a representation to the Anjaw deputy commissioner, the affected people termed the survey report on the standing immovable properties
an “unscrupulous attempt” to curtail their natural right and justice.
The project affected people said that the compensation amount approved in the final draft estimate was arbitrary in nature and in gross violation of the right to fair compensation and transparency, claiming that “the Anjaw DA excluded the maximum standing immovable properties from final bill.”
“No structures falling beyond the existing right of way (RoW) is illegal. We possess all the right to construct structures for residence and business. We have the right to do agriculture and allied activities since the land is inherited by us since time immemorial. Additionally, the structures were built before initial survey,” the affected people stated.
They further said that they are objecting to the compensation value fixed at the rate of Rs 11/sq mtr, which they claimed was “copy-pasted from the Trans-Arunachal Highway,” whereas said project is completely for military purposes. They also claimed that land falling under the stretch “is fertile and the farmers are solely dependent on it for survival.”
The affected people added that constructing structures and residential buildings along the highway is common practice and their fundamental right as landowners. “If such structures are destroyed without payment, it would amount to violation of human rights,” they said.
The families demanded conducting a joint survey for re-verification of the agricultural and horticultural properties and land, claiming that “huge number of orange, banana plants have been repressively excluded from the final bill.”
They also claimed that widening of the Chonyu-Namti stretch of the road “has been maintained 24 metres, but the proposed RoWs in Khlamtipani village and Walong town have been illogically reduced to 15 metres.”
The families further demanded removal of the Hawai CO headquarters to enable construction of the Namti defence road.
This daily was unable to get a reaction from the Anjaw district administration in the matter.
