Aizawl: The indefinite blockade on National Highway -306 imposed by a group of landowners in north Mizoram’s Kolasib district was lifted on Saturday following the intervention by Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA), a leader said.
Over 1,700 private landowners along the stretch of NH-306 and NH-6 between Vairengte and Kawnpui villages had staged an indefinite strike blocking incoming vehicles at Vairengte village from Thursday.
The landowners have been demanding compensation for their lands be damaged by the proposed widening or 4 laning of the national highways.
NH-306 (approximately 90 km), which begins at Silchar in Assam’s Barak valley and runs southward till Kolasib, is the lifeline of Mizoram as most supplies come through this highway. It is joined with NH-6, which terminates near Zokhawthar on the India-Myanmar border.
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NH-6 and 306 landowners’ association secretary H. Lalrinawma said that the landowners called off their agitation at around 4:30 pm on Saturday after a negotiation with leaders of CYMA. He said that the CYMA leaders were deputed by chief minister Zoramthanga.
Lalrinawma said that the CYMA leaders assured them of help to ensure that they receive compensation within this month (November).
He said that they will later decide their future course of action if the government fails to release compensation within November.
Lalrinawma had yesterday said that the landowners will receive compensation amounting to Rs. 150 crores for their lands to be damaged by the projects.
Although 50-75 per cent of the compensation amount meant for landowners in projects 3 and 4 has been credited to the Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA)’s account and was approved for release, the NHIDCL has instructed the authority to put it on hold as the state forest department informed the construction company that a large part of the areas (between projects 3 and 6) fall under notified forest area, he said.
Forest department officials, however, said that compensation is not within the purview of the department and the NHIDCL can give compensation to any claimant as per its wish.
Meanwhile, the entire areca nut growers in the Hachhek assembly constituency in Mamit district near Tripura and Assam borders, who agitated against the government by closing all government offices within the constituency from Tuesday, have also called off their agitation on the fifth day on Saturday.
Spearheaded by Hachhek Bial Kuhva Chingtu Pawl (HBKCP), an umbrella body of all areca nut growers’ societies in the Hachhek area, and other organisations, the agitated growers have demanded the state government ensure that their products are transported and sold outside the state, especially in Assam.
HBKCP general secretary Lalremruata Khiangte said that the meeting of the umbrella society and other NGOs on Saturday agreed to call off the agitation following a request from the government.
The meeting decided to wait for the government till November 15 and if no positive steps are taken within this period, the HBKCP and other NGOs will decide the future course of action, he said.
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