Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 2: The affected farmers of Jammu and Srinagar Ring Road projects today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issue of disparity in payment of compensation to the affected farmers by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
In a joint press statement, Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat (RTI activist and convener of Ring Road Land Owners’ Welfare Committee, Srinagar/Jammu), O P Khajuria (senior leader of Ring Road Kissan Sangharsh Samiti, Jammu) and GA Paul (president of the Ring Road affected farmers, Kashmir) said that though PM Modi inaugurated the Ring Road projects in Jammu and Srinagar in May last year yet no physical progress has taken place in these projects.
“Not even 10 % of the work has been taken up since PM came to J&K last year in summer for inaugurating Ring Road projects. The reason is affected farmers are not being paid fair compensation and the work is not able to be taken up. This project is marred by controversies and authorities are not ready to address the same,” Dr Bhat said and appealed PM to probe why new Ring Road projects are not been taken up.
The farmers said that Jammu & Kashmir state continues to follow J&K Land Acquisition Act 1934 which is an 85 year old law promulgated by Maharaja Hari Singh. “The Congress lead United Progressive Alliance (UPA-II) in the year 2013 enacted more progressive and democratic law called Right to Fair Compensation & Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (RFCTLARR Act 2013). Though Congress was in coalition Government with National Conference in J&K in the year 2013, RFCTLARR 2013 was not ratified by J&K Government and the ultimate sufferers are the farmers in J&K,” said G A Paul.
“RFCTLARR Act 2013 focuses on providing not only compensation but rehabilitation and resettlement as well. Under this Act, in rural areas compensation paid to affected people is 4 times more the market value of land and property and in urban areas this compensation is double but in J&K, NHAI is not ready to pay the affected people/farmers compensation what they pay in other states of India as the RFCTLARR Act 2013 has not been extended to J&K nor has J&K state enacted a similar law which would have same provisions,” said OP Khajuria.
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