Moving highway projects in Bengal unbearable problem, says Baalu

The minister said the NHAI was even unable to carry out land surveys in the state.

“There are problems in every state but here (in West Bengal) it is too much. It is unbearable. Even interventions by external affairs minister (Pranab Mukherjee) and parliamentary affairs minister (P R Dasmunsi) have not worked,” Baalu said.

The Indian Express has reported earlier how several projects to four-lane national highways in West Bengal have hit a roadblock owing to strong local resistance.

In fact, land acquisition issues that started festering at Nandigram have turned the heat on several projects in the state bringing land acquisition process to a virtual standstill over the last few months.

The problem started after the Nandigram issue flared up and it has only been getting worse with the NH-34 along the Barasat-Dhalkola stretch — better known as the spine of West Bengal — badly hit.

The National Highways Authority of India has been unable to conduct any land surveys along the NH-34, the entire area between Kolkata and Farrakha and the Barasat-Petrapole stretch along the international border.

NHAI has been engaging with the state government for the last few months and even managed to hold all-party meetings on the issue.

Though NHAI has agreed to conditions imposed by the parties to allow it to acquire land for highway projects, it has not paid off.

NHAI teams are even unable to approach areas where the land has to be acquired for widening the highway.

In contrast, in most other states like neighbouring Bihar, NHAI has been able to start work on land even before the compensation has actually reached those whose land is acquired.

The minister was replying to a question on six-laning of highways.

He added that no need was felt to relax land acquisition norms in such a situation.