Srinagar, June 27: Much hyped Srinagar semi-ring road project here has finally seen some forward movement with the Government of India allocating additional Rs 1400 crore for land compensation.
“After facing delays due to land acquisition, the government of India has approved additional Rs 1400 crore for the project,” said a senior government official adding that ” work is now going on in full swing.”
An official document of the planning department mentions that the Semi-ring road in Kashmir which is being helmed by the National Highway Authority of India is divided into two phases. Its earlier estimated cost was Rs 1860 crore.
“Phase 1 has 42.10 kilometers for 90 percent of the land that has been acquired. While as for the phase 2 which consists of 19 kilometer of road length to be developed, a detailed project report is under revision for this said phase for change of alignment.”
Project in-charge of ring road project, Gaurav informed that they have initiated the process for land acquisition. “With the release of additional Rs 1400 crore, the pace of work has picked up and wherever money for land acquisition is required it is being disbursed to the concerned parties through concerned district administrations.”
However, the project is facing hiccups as many landowners are alleging that the authorities are not giving them fair compensation in lieu of land.
Aggrieved landowner, GhulamQadir said that after abrogation of Article 370, the 86-year old J&K Land Acquisition Act got automatically repealed. “Now the farmers in J&K whose land is being acquired are entitled to compensation under new law applicable in J&K from 31 October 2019, but we are being denied this benefit, we are being provided compensation which is four times lesser than the market rate.”
“We are demanding the authorities to pay compensation as per the new central compensation Act which has come into effect in J&K after the abrogation of special status,” he said.
Under the Phase-II of the project, a two-way road will start at Narbal and meet in Ganderbal. The project is likely to cost Rs 1195 crore in Phase-I and Rs 448 crore in Phase-II.
The road length in the Phase-I will be 34.72 kilometers and in the Phase-II 27.2 kilometers. There will be a Toll Plaza at Narbal Junction. In the proposed four-lane road project from Galander to Narbal, there will be 155 culverts, two road-over bridges, two flyovers, five major junctions, 17 minor junctions and one Toll Plaza.
The two-lane road from Narbal to Ganderbal will have 135 culverts, five major junctions and nine minor junctions. The projects should keep room for widening from four-lane to six-lane and from two-lane to four-lane to cater to future needs. A revenue document reveals that Kashmir will lose 4730 kanals of agricultural land to the project. Semi ring road will take away 3661 kanals of agriculture land in Budgam, 379 kanals in Pulwama, 202 kanals in Srinagar, 150 kanals in Baramulla, 160 kanals in Bandipora and 176 kanals in Ganderbal.