Highway blocks: 'inaction and extortion'

- Encroachments and lack of land acquisition hold up NH6 expansion project on four stretches

OUR BUREAU

Shops set up illegally on land required to expand NH6 in Howrah's Ranihati. Picture by Gopal Senapati

Calcutta, May 28: A combination of political "inaction" and alleged extortion attempts by parties has slammed the brakes on a Rs 2,200-crore project that planned to build a fast corridor linking Dankuni and Kharagpur by widening National Highway 6.

The project that started in April 2012 is making no headway in several places primarily because of two problems — the government's "lack of support" and Trinamul and CPM members allegedly demanding money from the contractor — Ashoka Buildcon Ltd.

"There is complete inaction in removing encroachers and acquiring land. On top of that, the parties are demanding money from us to let work progress. How will we complete the project if we have to overcome such obstacles?" an official of Ashoka Buildcon Ltd said.

The Telegraph today reported that the widening of the 111.4km stretch is stuck in several places. Ashoka Buildcon yesterday alleged lack of support from the state government on land acquisition and arm-twisting by syndicates.

Visits by the newspaper today revealed that expansion work is yet to begin on four stretches in Howrah, East Midnapore and West Midnapore.

"We are yet to get land in Dhulagarh and Ranihati in Howrah, Deulia Bazaar in East Midnapore and Basantapur in West Midnapore. Although the project started in April 2012, nothing could be done in these places," the official said.

Engineers believe that the 30-month deadline to turn the four-lane highway into a six-lane one will be missed if things are not sorted out quickly.

Near the Ranihati crossing in Howrah, a 1.5km stretch cannot be widened because of encroachment and unavailability of land. Sources said around 150 shops and a few houses had encroached on land owned by the National Highways Authority of India. "Only 40 per cent of the land needed to widen the stretch requires to be acquired as the rest belongs to the NHAI. The encroachers need to be evicted," the Ashoka Buildcon official said.

At Deulia Bazaar in East Midnapore, 300 shops have come up on land that needs to be acquired. The shop owners are demanding a compensation of Rs 4 lakh per cottah. They claimed they had the backing of local Trinamul leaders.

Ashoka Buildcon officials alleged that political parties were demanding money to let work progress at Basantapur in West Midnapore. A local Trinamul leader has allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh, the officials said. The residents are demanding a vehicular underpass below the highway.

"We don't have any such plan. The residents think the panchayat will build roads parallel to the highway and the underpass will connect them. How can we build an underpass for roads that don't even exist?" the official said.

A CPM panchayat leader in Howrah's Dhulagarh has allegedly asked for Rs 1 lakh to issue a trade licence to Ashoka Buildcon to set up a site office.

"The contractors should approach the secretary of the panchayat, who is a government employee, for the licence. If any leader of our party has demanded money, the company can complain to us and we will probe the matter. If the allegations are true, action will be taken against the leader," said Biplab Majumdar, the Howrah district secretary of the CPM.

Dinen Roy, the Trinamul president of West Midnapore, also promised action "if the allegation of extortion is true".

Sources in the government said opposition to land acquisition and removal of encroachments "are bound to crop up in any infrastructure project".

"But the difference between other state governments and the Bengal government is that here, no one knows how to deal with such situations. The Bengal government has made it clear that it won't acquire land. From the actions of the administration, it seems it does not want to take the risk of evicting encroachers on government land," a senior government official said.

"Who will go against the government? We are all government employees after all. The Howrah administration had initially shown interest (in evicting encroachers) but has slowed down now, primarily because of the panchayat polls," he added.

The widening of national highways is the responsibility of the NHAI but the state government has to ensure availability of land.

Ashoka Buildcon officials said the company might be forced to widen only some portions. "A sudden narrow stretch after a wider one will create traffic snarls and could cause accidents," an engineer said.

An NHAI official sounded hopeful.

Ajay Ahluwalia, the chief general manager of NHAI in Bengal, said: "We all know land is a sensitive issue in Bengal. But in the past six months, the Bengal government is taking measures to acquire land."

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130529/jsp/bengal/story_16948351.jsp#.UaYPS9KBlA0