: More than three dozen highway projects worth more than Rs 42,000 crore in Punjab

Infrastructure Projects in Punjab/ Opinion By Nimrat Kaur, Managing Director, Rozana Spokesman: More than three dozen highway projects worth more than Rs 42,000 crore in Punjab have been stalled mainly due to delays in land acquisition and farmers' protests. In the past, there were reports in the media that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has canceled the ongoing road projects worth Rs 3,303 crore in Punjab.

Three major projects: the 25-km-long South Ludhiana Bypass, the 47-km-long Ludhiana-Rupnagar Highway, and the 45-km-long Ludhiana-Bathinda Highway will no longer be ready, as planned.

Apart from these, there is no information about the Amritsar-Taran Taran part of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. Tenders will be issued again to complete them. On the other hand, Public Works Minister of the state Harbhajan Singh ETO has said that there is no such thing, and no project has been stopped.

However, there is certainly truth in the fact that NHAI is worried about the delays in road construction work. The minister has claimed that the remaining land will also be handed over to the contractors within two months. The Center has asked the Punjab government to resolve all disputes related to land acquisition within two months.

It should also be mentioned here that these projects have been rejected by the contractors. The central government had almost decided to cancel four more projects worth Rs 4,942 crore scheduled for Punjab. Currently, 1,500 km of highways are already under construction in Punjab. The total cost of these projects is Rs 52,000 crore. Currently, there are 36 projects worth a total of Rs 42,175 crore, in which there is a delay due to legal hurdles in the way of land acquisition.

NHAI had earlier accused Punjab of forcing contractors to cancel earlier agreements due to delays in land acquisition. Due to such a situation in the state, NHAI went to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the year 2022. Finally, in October last year, the high court of the state instructed the Punjab government to help NHAI in acquiring land, but nothing happened.

On the other hand, the farmers started protesting on the issue of land acquisition, due to which all the big projects that started to strengthen the infrastructure of the state were canceled. Still, the series of meetings with Deputy Commissioners and Police Officers of all the districts of the Punjab Government is continuing. Till now Delhi to Katra highway was being prepared very fast. Sadly, the projects which can contribute greatly to the progress of the state are being canceled now.

3,700 crore is pending as compensation for acquired land and compensation for 845 hectares of land is yet to be announced. Despite this, NHAI officials are worried that not all the land in the way of the proposed highway has been acquired. In such a situation, the central government should not discriminate against Punjab and all Punjabis. The farmers whose lands are being acquired must get due compensation.