By R Lester Makang
UKHRUL, August 13: Even as construction work of the NH-150 along the Imphal-Ukhrul route has promptly resumed with the end of the United Naga Council’s (UNC) ten-day blanket ban on National Projects in Naga areas on Sunday last, the Affected Land Owners’ Association (ALOA) has threatened to heighten its stricture on the progress of the work as the concerned authorities have allegedly turned a deaf ear to their plea for redressal of the affected land owners’ grievances and not bothered to respond till date.
The work of expansion of Ukhrul-Yaingangpokpi stretch along the existing national highway to a double-lane road has once again resumed in full swing since the conclusion of the ban imposed by the apex Naga body on August 10 last, disclosed a highly placed source on Wednesday, while adding that a couple of JCB bulldozers are now being used for cutting the road at Hungpung village area.
Sources further informed that workers of BRTF/GREF are also now being engaged in construction of RCC retaining walls, underground water passages/canals etc. along the road as usual since the past few days. On the other hand, sources from the Affected Land Owners’ Association (ALOA) has today informed that the body is bracing to strictly enforce its stricture on the progress of the said expansion work, alleging that the concerned authorities have till date not responded to their request for an amicable settlement of their due compensation.
“We have no other options but to deploy our volunteers to enforce the ban now,” disclosed the source adding that the same will be worked out within a few days’ time.
It may be recalled here that ALOA had earlier announced that a ban has been imposed on the work progress with effect from August 4 last citing failure of the concerned authorities to address their grievances.
The body has been demanding the government to settle the payment of compensation to all the affected land owners of the stretch from Finch Corner to Dungrei Junction by way of immediate conduct of survey to ensure inclusion of land owners whose names had been left out from the published list and fixation of compensation rate as per the Land Acquisition Act 2013 amonst others.