Sambalpur: A special team will probe into the irregularities in land acquisition for the construction of a ring road or necklace road around Sambalpur town, a report said Thursday. The ring road having four lanes will be constructed at a planned outlay of Rs 1,000 crore by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The purpose behind the construction of the ring road is to ease the traffic problems in the town and facilitate smooth plying of heavy vehicles. The road will start from Goshala, Katapali on NH-53 and will run through Maneswar, Jayantpur, and Kabrapali before connecting the Biju Expressway at Sasan. The ring road will have roads for two national highways while a bridge on Mahanadi and a railway bridge will also be constructed for the purpose.
Most of the land required for the project is government land while some private land will also be acquired for the purpose. The tender will be opened and works will start after 80 per cent of the land is acquired for the project, NHAI sources said. Meanwhile, the NHAI has floated a tender for the purpose while the land acquisition is nearing completion.
However, large-scale irregularities have marred the land acquisition process as some influential people have allegedly connived with the land acquisition officials and local land brokers to extract more compensation. It is alleged that houses have been built on the lands meant for acquisition after the publication of the 3D notice. Such irregularities are alleged to have been committed in Gunderpur, Sudunga, Brahmanipali, Nuapali, Jayantpur areas where land acquisition is underway for the construction of the ring road. The houses which have been constructed are allegedly not fit for human habitation.
The normal process has not been followed during the construction of houses in which proper flooring works are yet to be done. The interior of the houses is in decrepit condition while the exterior of the houses has been plastered and applied with colors. The local residents have lodged complaints with the concerned officials but their pleas are yet to be addressed. The rule mandates that the land status cannot be altered and no construction will be allowed once the notice is issued for land acquisition. Moreover, restrictions are imposed on carrying out any further construction work on the concerned land and if necessary then construction works can be undertaken after obtaining necessary permission from the district Collector. A report is prepared and compensation is sanctioned on the status of the land before the issue of the notice for land acquisition.
However, here in an aberration, construction works were taken up on the land after the issue of the notice. NHAI project director Nageshwar Rao said that a GPS survey, field verification, videography, and photography were undertaken before land acquisition. He said that the construction of a house after the issue of a notice can be clearly known and the district administration has been informed to check these wrongdoings. Any house found uninhabitable will not be given any compensation.
