Land compensation paid in 2007-09, Govt now ‘decides’ to build alternate
Shillong, Oct 17: Over 32 villagers of Puriang village in East Khasi Hills district have urged the district administration impress upon the state government against the alleged move to abandon four-laning of Mawryngkneng-Puriang section of national highway 44 for which land compensation was paid way back in 2007-09.
The alternative route bypassing the existing road would seriously affect the livelihood of the people living along the stretch of the national highway, they said.
In a letter submitted to the deputy commissioner RM Kurbah recently, the aggrieved villagers said that many of the landowners on the stretch had parted with their land to the government way back in 2007 for construction of the four-lane NH 44. They were compensated for the land as well by the government.
“It has been learnt that the government will abandon the said 4-laning of the existing road which the government has acquired and paid for in 2007-09,” the letter said.
Changing alignment of the highway would leave many of the villagers jobless and there would be an economic breakdown in the area, they said.
Following the land acquisition in 2007-09, many locals set up businesses such as petrol pumps, line hotels, tyre shops, tea stalls, vegetable shops, etc., in the hope of having the 4-lane road along, and many villagers got jobs in these establishments.
They also termed the reported move to change the alignment as a “unnecessary waste of public money” as for the new road the government would need 10 times more public money and lead to cutting of lot of trees, flattening of hills and farmlands, which will cause huge damage to the environment and eco-system of the area.
