Road widening: Circle rates of land slashed by 40 per cent

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 16

The Revenue Department has slashed by about 40 per cent the circle rates of land to be acquired for the widening of the Pathankot-Mandi and Matour-Shimla national highways to four lanes. Many villages have been removed from the land acquisition process for the project. It implies that either the alignment of the national highways will be changed or their width will be reduced.

The circle rates of the land have been slashed in Nurpur, Kotla and Jawalamukhi areas. As per the information available, the circle rates of the land in Chaj village of the Nurpur area has been reduced from Rs 8,000 per sq mt to Rs 5,283 per sq mt, in Naglahar village from Rs 7,000 per sq mt to Rs 5,149 per sq mt, in Nagawari from Rs 7,000 to Rs 5,149, in Dagraja from Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,149, in Charoli Khas from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2,801, in Vasa from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2,801, in Dap Mahal Pacca Tiyala from Rs 7,000 to Rs 5,149 per sq mt and in Khandwal from Rs 7,000 to Rs 5,149 per sq mt.

In the Nurpur area, Lagor, Sujanta, Mao, Mankot, Jaunta, Dhuliana, Palin and Ban Tatal villages have been taken out of the land acquisition process.

In the Chowgan area of Nurpur town, the circle rates have been reduced from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2,989 per sq mt while the Rampuri area in the town has been removed from the acquisition process.

In the Kotla area, on an average, the circle rates have been reduced from Rs 5,000 per sq mt to Rs 2,969 per sq mt. In the Jawalamukhi area, it has been reduced from Rs 5,000 to Rs 4,320 per sq mt.

Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari had laid the foundation stone of the project to widen the Pathankot-Mandi and Matour-Shimla national highways just before the last parliamentary elections.

However, till date, the work on the project has not started. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which was to execute the project, had expressed reservation over the high land circle rates.