NHAI asks Punjab dists not to issue CLUs till it ends surveys
When it is known that a new road is coming up, land rates rise and pvt owners make a windfall
JALANDHAR: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has requested district administrations to not issue No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for change in land use, sale deed, or registries till it completes its final surveys in areas where it is planning to acquire land for its road projects. After the survey, the NHAI issues a baseline notification that acts as the master document for land acquisition.
The apprehension of the NHAI is that such land conversions, sale deed, registries etc are meant to take undue advantage of the fact that a road will pass through the areas concerned.
As soon as news filters out that a new road is to be built, rates of land in and around the area increase and private owners get undue compensation, earning a windfall.
The NHAI wants to curb any fraud in such major big-ticket projects.
In the latest instance, the NHAI has written to the Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner to pass stay order on change in land use or sale or registries till it completes its survey on fourlaning the Hoshiarpur-Phagwara road.
Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner Apneet Riyait confirmed the development, adding that the needful would be done.
In 2019, the NHAI had detected major irregularities in the land acquisition process for widening of the Bathinda-Sangat Kalan road as the nature of 177 khasras (plots) of land was changed from agriculture to commercial in an attempt to give undue compensation to private landowners.
In its communication to the Hoshiarpur DC, the NHAI says, “Land acquisition proceedings have been initiated by NHAI and verification of survey number of patwaris falling in the alignment is under progress for four-laning of existing two-lane highway from Phagwara to Hoshiarpur including Phagwara and Hoshiarpur bypass.”
It adds, “The alignment of the subject project stretch is now easily accessible and the possibility of leakage of sensitive information cannot be ruled out. There are high chances of conversion of land or sale/ purchase of land falling in the alignment.”
Finally, the NHAI adds, “Such instances of conversion have been reported in Punjab previously too, resulting in dropping the proposal of development of highways or extra cost and arbitration cases or land disputes.”
A senior NHAI official, seeking anonymity, said the district administrations were being told to vigilant against such profiteering.
Hoshiarpur-based Right to Information (RTI) activist, Rajiv Vashisht, who is a whistleblower in Hoshiarpur land acquisition scam, said, “The NHAI has taken a big step towards stopping land acquisition frauds that the land mafia perpetrates in a nexus with government officials. This is welcome news for people wanting transparency.”