MP Arora makes efforts for completion of NHAI Projects
– Held discussions with RO, NHAI and other officials
Ludhiana, 10 July 2024 : MP (Rajya Sabha) from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora recently held a meeting with Vipnesh Sharma, Regional Officer, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Chandigarh, to discuss all the ongoing NHAI projects in Punjab.
Giving this information here on Wednesday, Arora said during this meeting an important aspect come to the light that many of the NHAI projects are hanging in the air due to non-availability of lands. The farmers of the state are not willing to give their lands for these projects even though the compensation amount for acquisition of these lands has been increased as per their demand.
Arora said he has been apprised that land is not available for around 100-Kms-long out of 400 Kms stretch passing through Punjab of the Delhi-Katra Expressway Project. He added most of this stretch is in Ludhiana and Gurdaspur districts. As a result, this project is still incomplete. He added that on the other hand, Haryana farmers have already given the required lands to the NHAI for this project.
He added Ludhiana-Ropar Expressway Project is also facing the same issue, resulting to which the project is stalled due to non-availability of land by the farmers.
Further, Arora said the NHAI has been facing problem in acquiring some portion of land near Ucha Pind in Fatehgarh Sahib district for the Chandigarh-Kharar Highway project. He added he has now taken up this matter with Deputy Commissioner Fatehgarh Sahib Parneet Shergill who has assured him that she will soon do something concrete in this matter.
He said he has been apprised by Vipnesh Sharma, Regional Officer, NHAI that retendering of the Southern Ludhiana Bypass Greenfield Highway Project has been done. Arora added orders for retendering of this project were issued by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari when he had met him in Delhi Last month. This project is also getting delayed because the NHAI is not being given possession of 20% land by the landlords concerned. This matter has been taken up with Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana Sakshi Sawhney.
Arora said during his meeting with Vipnesh Sharma, RO, NHAI, he was apprised that the tenders for constructing a 21-Km-long cycle track along the Ladowal bypass have been floated by NHAI. He added there is no land issue as far as this project is concerned. He hoped that work on this project will start soon. He said this project has been started as a pilot project by the NHAI because such kind of projects rarely exist in the country.
Also, the project of parking slots along elevated road in Ludhiana is in works and is being handled by National Highway Logistics Management Limited. Something positive should come out soon, he said.
Meanwhile, Arora said Punjab will suffer a lot if the national highway projects are not completed due to non-availability of lands. He said the road infrastructure plays a key role in industrial and economic development of a state. He said moreover the affected landlords can go for arbitration, but they cannot deny giving possession of their lands for creating infrastructure by the NHAI. He said the issue of acquisition of lands can be handled only by the state government and the local administration. He said he is trying his best to resolve the issue for the betterment of Ludhiana and other parts of the state.
Further, Arora said the work of construction of four bridges in the Sidhwan Canal is stalled because of the flowing river water. He said he has taken up this matter with Principal Secretary Water Resources Punjab Krishan Kumar who is likely to decide about the date of closure of water gates by coming Monday. He added the contractor will start construction work on these four bridges as soon as the water recedes in the Sidhwan Canal.
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