HT DIGITAL
AIZAWL, AUGUST 13: Even as the Bairabi–Sairang railway line in Mizoram awaits its formal inauguration, a group of landowners along the route has threatened to fence off their land in protest against prolonged delays in receiving compensation.
Announcing that plans are being made to send a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Indian Railways, and the Aizawl Deputy Commissioner to urge them to take action on the matter immediately, the landowners said that 14 of those who have been affected by railway construction are owed a total of ₹14.56 crore for damaged land.
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Among these, four have not yet received any payment, and the rest have only partially been paid. The group threatened that unless the outstanding dues are paid, they will physically fence their properties, cutting off access to the railway line.
The landowners alleged that the survey work for the project commenced on August 18, 2011, and that the majority of the other affected owners had been compensated fully by 2016. They charged the Aizawl district administration and Indian Railways with blaming each other for the delay rather than addressing the problem.
District administrators said that they had met with the landowners and reached a consensus to carry out spot verification of the lands affected on August 19. Still, they also added that it may take two to three years to finish the compensation process if normal administrative procedures are followed.
Efforts to get a comment from Indian Railways officials proved unsuccessful.
51.38-kilometre Bairabi–Sairang railway line was inaugurated by Northeast Frontier Railway in June, after a safety inspection by Sumeet Singhal, Commissioner of Railway Safety (Northeast Frontier Circle). The project is under the Government of India’s Act East Policy and works towards improving connectivity and economic development in Mizoram and the larger Northeast region.
When it begins operation, the line will initially join Aizawl with Silchar in Assam and for the first time join Mizoram to the remaining railway network of India. Construction was initiated in 2015. The state government of Mizoram had earlier invited the Prime Minister to inaugurate the Bairabi–Sairang railway line and Sairang railway station, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma had confirmed.
In a meeting with NF Railway officials on July 31, a possible date for inauguration was deliberated, with another meeting to be held on August 19 to assess preparedness.
