Aizawl, Sep 25 (PTI): Over 2,000 ‘landowners’ in Kolasib district have decided to go ahead with their plan to indefinitely block NH-306, which will snap Mizoram’s connectivity to the rest of the country, from Wednesday as their meetings with the state government remained inconclusive, a leader of their association said.
They have been urging the government to resolve the ownership issues of land along the highway and lift the freezing order. Besides, they are demanding the repeal of the Roadside Reserve Forest notification of 1965.
James Vanlalringa, the chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Kolasib District Land Owners’ Association, said they have decided to go ahead with the agitation as the government failed to address their concerns even after three years.
He claimed there are about 2,300-2,500 people who own land along NH-306 and NH-6 between Vairengte town on the Mizoram-Assam border and Mualkhang in Kolasib district.
Considered the lifeline of Mizoram, the NH-306 and NH-6 are interlinked and connect the northeastern state with the rest of the country through Assam.
The Centre approved the widening of the NH-306 along with NH-6 into four lanes a few years ago, and the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) was mandated to execute the project.
The project could not be implemented because of a dispute between the state Forest Department and Revenue Department, NHIDCL officials said.
Vanlalringa alleged that after land acquisition when the release of compensation was in the process, the state Forest Department declared 800-metre land on either side of the highway as roadside reserve forest based on the 1965 notification.
He accused the Forest Department of declaring their lands as roadside reserve forest for want of compensation from the Centre.
He said they had discussed the matter with state Forests Minister Lalthansanga and Kolasib deputy commissioner but the meetings remained inconclusive.
“We have decided to go ahead with the indefinite blockade on NH-306 at Sethawn after our meetings with the forest minister and officials yielded no results. We have no option other than to block the highway in order to mount pressure on the government,” Vanlalringa told PTI.
Vehicles on essential services will be exempted, he said.
The forest minister said the state government has been making all efforts to resolve the issue.
He said that he held a meeting with leaders of the association on Monday, and informed them about the steps taken by the government.
Lalthansanga urged them to call off the agitation and wait for the court’s direction on the matter.
The Supreme Court recently directed the Gauhati High Court to decide as expeditiously as possible the appeal over the 1965 notification.
The court also suggested the Mizoram chief secretary to hold a meeting with secretaries of the Forest Department and the Revenue Department to resolve the dispute.
