Compensation row impedes cross-border road project in Mizoram

Aizawl: The ongoing construction of cross-border road under the ambitious Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP), which will link south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district with Myanmar, has come to a standstill due to indefinite strike called by land owners association over compensation.

Lawngtlai Land Owners’ Association (LDLOA) president H Remmawia said that Rulkual unit of the association has called indefinite strike by serving stay order to contractors from March 20 due the state government failure to give compensation to the land owners.

Of the 303 land owners in Rulkual area, the state government has failed to give compensation to 23 land owners till date, he said. He said that the government issued an order recommending the award of compensation of about Rs 5,000 lakh to 303 land owners in Rulkual area in 2017.

The authorities concerned have failed to take any effort towards this effect for which 23 land owners are still unable to be paid, he added.

Disappointed with the government’s laxity land owners of Rulkual area in Mizoram’s southern most Lawngtlai district has asked RDS company to put a halt on the ongoing road construct within their area from March 20, he said.

The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, launched in 2008 by the erstwhile UPA government as part of its Look East (Now Act East) policy, is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

The project, when completed, will link Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district with western Myanmarese town of Paletwa by more than 110-km-long road where the National Highway-54 passes by.

The construction of 87.18 km-long-road component in Mizoram side began in 2010 and is being worked by two companies — RDS Project Limited and Orissa-based Atlanta ARSS (JV).

State PWD officials said that 81.12% of physical work has been completed as of now. While 64.58 km of road has been blacktopped, formation cutting of 85.41 km, out of 87.18-km-long road, have been also been completed, the officials added.

Of the eight bridges, seven are under constrtion and 335 out 428 culverts have also been already completed, officials said. The Centre has sanctioned Rs. 1,011.52 crore for the project.

Although the project was scheduled to be completed by 2014, it has been delayed due to the compensation row.