Patna. An important step has been taken towards strengthening the road network in Bihar. To complete many major road projects of the state on time, the Revenue and Land Reforms Department has issued instructions to speed up the process of land acquisition. The department believes that if the hurdles to land acquisition are removed, then the road schemes which have been stuck for years can gain momentum.

Land Acquisition Director Kamlesh Kumar Singh has sent a detailed list of those projects to all the districts, in which land acquisition has not been completed till now. A recent review has revealed that most of the projects are stalled due to delay in payment of compensation, disagreement over the rate of compensation and legal disputes.

Where are the major projects stuck?

Land acquisition remains a big challenge for the six-lane bridge being built on the Ganga river between Sherpur and Dighwara. The process is getting delayed due to religious places and educational institutions coming in the way of the approach road of the bridge. The matter regarding about 580 meter land in Saran district has still not been resolved.

Due to change in the alignment of the road in Kishanganj to Bahadurganj section of NH-27, there is a need to acquire fresh land in about 4.5 km area. For this, correspondence is going on between the concerned departments regarding compensation arrangements.

Resentment regarding compensation

Land owners of Maranga and Sukhiya Mauza on Maheshkhunt-Saharsa-Purnia route of NH-231 are expressing dissatisfaction regarding the rate of compensation. Similarly, payment to some land owners in Bakarpur-Manikpur section of NH-139W is still pending, while a case to Muzaffarpur area is pending in the court.

Land acquisition is pending for about 55 kilometers of road on Sahebganj-Areraj-Bettiah route of NH-139W. In West Champaran district also, the process is said to be incomplete in about 24 km stretch. At the same time, land acquisition work is going on in different stages in Vaishali, Darbhanga, Samastipur and Patna districts.

What instructions to the officials?

The Director of Land Acquisition has given clear instructions to the district level officers to solve the problems by coordinating with the concerned departments, construction agencies and land owners. Special emphasis has been laid on ensuring transparency and timeliness in compensation payment, so that there is no unnecessary delay in road construction works.