TMB Report
Imphal: NH37 Affected Landowner Association has demanded that the expansion of National Highway (NH) 37 from Oriental College to Keithel Manbi should be reduced to 40 feet on both sides of the road as
per the instructions of Ministry of Road Transport, cautioning that the people will launch various forms of agitations if the demand is not heard.
Speaking to media persons in a press meet held at Manipur Press Club on Saturday NH 37 Affected Landowner Association Secretary Irengbam Gandhajit stated that the government must fix the land expansion on both sides of the road at 40 feet.
He said that the government has issued various orders in the past and recently an order was issued informing that the highway will be expanded upto 75 feet which has triggered chaos among the people who have already been affected.
He said that the first eviction order was issued in 1983 and after six years the compensation was announced in 1988. The compensation was released after six years and the amount failed to match the land value as it was announced after six years. The enraged people have denied the compensation amount. A case in this regard is still left unresolved.
However, suddenly out of the blue, an eviction order was issued on November 30, 2021 and houses, shops were destroyed and again another order to expand it up to 75 feet was issued on August 22, 2022. The people settled in the areas have been tremendously tortured by the authorities and upon demanding
compensation, it has been stated that no compensation will be given as it has already been settled in the past.
He questioned if there is no law in the state and if the people will continue to be tortured in this manner. No compensation has been given to the land owners till today but the authority has denied sanctioning any compensation for the land owners.
Several families have already built houses and shops to earn their livelihood without any help and
compensation from the authorities. Another order to evict the land will not be accepted and the authority
must reduce the width of the road to 40 feet.
