Williamnagar, 17 February:The compensation dispute over the widening of National Highway 217 (NH217) has intensified, with the district administration deciding to re-survey properties of landowners who have refused to accept the government’s compensation offer.
The move follows an arbitration hearing held at the DC Office, Williamnagar, on February 16, where affected property owners who have not signed the compensation agreement appeared before the authorities. Officials informed them that re-verification of their properties would be conducted within the next few days by the Deputy Commissioner Revenue.
Several landowners have described the compensation amounts as inadequate for rebuilding their businesses elsewhere. Shamina N. Sangma, who has been running her family business in Rongjeng Bazar for nearly 30 years, said the offer does not reflect market realities.
“The amount of about Rs. 8 lakh being offered as compensation for my three-room shop in Rongjeng Bazar is very small and unreasonable. With this amount, I cannot even think of re-establishing my business at another location. Once the acquisition is completed, the few available properties will cost almost ten times more than earlier rates. How are we supposed to restart our livelihood?” she said.
Another affected property owner, M. G. Momin, who runs a commercial store in Rongjeng Bazar, also expressed strong dissatisfaction. “I feel this compensation is very cheap and a betrayal. With Rs. 6 lakh, my family and I will be ruined. We will lose our only source of livelihood,” Momin said.
Meanwhile, Garo social activist Cherian G. Momin alleged that the compensation process does not comply with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act, 2013).
“The Government did not consider the business rebuilding cost and the mandatory solatium under Section 30 of the Act. Section 30(1) clearly mandates a solatium of 100% of the market value to be paid to landowners. This has not been properly factored into the compensation,” he stated.
Referring to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the NH217 project, Momin further alleged deviations from the approved plan. “The DPR (Main Report, Volume I, August 2024, Page 142) clearly states that in Rongjeng, categorized as a heavy built-up area, no land acquisition was proposed because land acquisition and compensation for structures would have been enormous. Despite this and the absence of budget allocation for Rongjeng under the Rs. 95.88 crore land acquisition estimate, properties are now being acquired,” he said.
He argued that any such deviation from the approved DPR would require a revised DPR with fresh approval, environmental clearance, public consultation, and budget reallocation before implementation.
Chapter 9.9 ‘Project Viability & Conclusions’ of the approved DPR (Volume I, August 2024) specifically notes: “It may be mentioned that in Rongjeng (Heavy Built-up) no land acquisition proposed since LA and compensation for structures would have been enormous otherwise. Land acquisition has been proposed only at locations where it was absolutely unavoidable.”
Affected residents have urged the district administration to reassess the valuation process and ensure compliance with the approved DPR and statutory provisions before proceeding further with the land acquisition.
