I
Sir,
This refers to oped titled ‘Ring road projects in limbo’ by Raja Muzaffar Bhat (DE 7/12/2019). It is a very sad news that Project Implementing Agency (PIA) M/S RAMKY has given termination notice to National Highway Authority of India-NHAI as NHAI failed to fulfill the necessary requirements especially vis a vis land acquisition. Daily Excelsior carried a detailed report on this issue on 8/12/2019. This is a very callous attitude on part of the Government for having failed to acquire the land and on the other hand project PIA and effected farmers have been made scapegoats. The author has rightly said that this project should be re-notified under central land acquisition act which is applicable in J&K from 1st October 2019. If Govt claims that they want to give benefits to people of J&K after scrapping Article 370 why cannot they initiate this process by providing fair and equitable compensation to the farmers affected by Ring Road projects in Srinagar and Jammu ? It is very sad that the Govt axed many mango trees in Bishnah area of Jammu sometime back without paying compensation to the effected farmers. Hope Govt shows some seriousness about the Ring Road projects and this issue needs to be addressed at an earliest.
Sajad Hussain
Alamgari Bazar, Srinagar
II
Sir,
After a long time Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat has written a piece in Daily Excelsior. The article dated 7.12.2019 (Ring Road projects in limbo) should be an eye opener to Government who have made unnecessary delay in executing two Ring Road projects in Srinagar and Jammu. These projects were being monitored by PMO directly and PM Modi himself inaugurated the project in 2018. The tenders were issued in 2017 and till date not even 50 percent of the land has been acquired by the Government especially in Budgam , Pulwama and Srinagar districts. The farmers want compensation on the pattern of central law (Right to Fair Compensation for Land Acquisition Act 2013) which is their genuine demand , but this was denied in past as J&K had no such law. Now the situation has changed , all central laws are applicable and those farmers whose land is yet to be acquired and would be acquired in the upcoming months, Government must acquire the same under central law which will facilitate four times more compensation to effected people whose fertile and irrigated land is being snatched. Govt must issue fresh notification in this regard as the delay has been caused by them. It is unfortunate that from last three years not even five kms of the road has been constructed by NHAI in Kashmir valley under this project. RAMKY an infrastructure company which was allotted the contract in Kashmir for this project was forced to quit as Govt could not acquire land on time especially in Budgam district where land rates are very high. I appeal LG Mr Murmu and Chief Secretary to intervene.
Ajaz Ahmad Dar
Khansahib, Budgam
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