GUWAHATI: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Tuesday, called upon all the states in the Northeast to carry out reforms in their respective Land Acquisition Act rules to ease completion of major road projects in the region.
“This is the time for states in the Northeast to make reform to the rules, without that it won’t be possible. And if we don’t get land, how are we going to construct roads?” he asked.
Gadkari, who inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 26 national highway projects valued at over ₹17,500 crore at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakhetra in Guwahati, pointed out to the press, that delays in acquiring land have pushed numerous major projects back by two to three years in the region, with Assam being the exception to this challenge.
Concerned by these setbacks, Gadkari issued a warning to these states, stating, “We have communicated to them that there have been delays of two to three years because of this, and if they aren’t resolving them any soon, we will close the projects.”
The Union Minister attributed the problems related to land acquisition to states such as Nagaland and Meghalaya, highlighting that while the Land Acquisition Act is passed by the parliament, it is the rules drafted by the respective state governments that are creating difficulties.
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He also outlined the shift in the Centre’s approach towards land acquisition, explaining that appointments for road projects used to be given with as little as 2% to 4% land acquisition, but this approach has evolved. “Now, the Centre requires 80% of land acquisition before granting appointment dates,” he informed.
To address these challenges, Gadkari announced plans to organise meetings with the chief secretaries of the respective states and to personally visit Northeastern states to facilitate the land acquisition process.
However, Gadkari made it clear that Assam was an exception to these challenges, and he expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for addressing land acquisition issues effectively.
Providing an overview of the extensive infrastructure development in Assam, Gadkari revealed that numerous projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore, including those in progress and proposed, are underway in the Northeast.
In Assam alone, several projects spanning 802 km at a cost of Rs 40,836 crore are in progress, with 136 projects covering over 2,000 km completed at a cost of Rs 12,164 crore, he said. “In total, Assam has 248 projects covering 4,000 km, amounting to over Rs 1 lakh crore in investments over the past decade,” he said, urging other states to maintain transparency, adhere to time-bound decision-making processes, and establish a corruption-free system for land acquisition.
