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(From top) A view of the 2.4km diverted stretch for the Gauhati University bypass, work on which has stalled because of delay in handing over land free of
encumberances to the PWD department. The proposed four-lane bypass will pass through Khanamukh, Satmile and Lankeswar. Telegraph pictures |
May 4: Delay in handover of land that is free from all encumbrances has hampered work on the second phase of the four-lane 6.4-km Gauhati University bypass.
Frustrated, the GU Post Graduate Students Union, under general secretary Dipjyoti Deka, today said they have decided to resort to road blockade in the last week of May in protest against the delay.
The busy NH 37 passes through the university. The second phase bypass plan has a four-lane diversion of 2.4km from Dharapur to Jalukbari.
The sites in question are located on the right side of Dehang Garigaon and Pachim Jalukbari, involving 29 establishments/houses when you approach from the Jalukbari junction.
Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner Ashutosh Agnihotri, however, told The Telegraph that the district administration would hand over the land within a week.
“We have been exploring all possible steps to ensure a smooth handover because land remains an emotive and sensitive issue. It needs a lot of convincing and cajoling to get people on board. We have cleared one area and are working on the other. These things take time and we are confident of smooth handover in a week’s time,” he said.
Deka welcomed Agnihotri’s assurance but said they would go ahead with their protest if things do not take off in the right earnest.
“The bypass was conceived keeping in mind the increasing number of mishaps on the stretch that passes through the university. We would also like the administration to ensure a speed limit of 40km per hour on the existing stretch in the interim phase,” he said.
Gauhati University vice-chancellor .K. Medhi said the pace of work has slowed down but all agencies involved in the execution of the project had promised to sort out all problems in a review meeting held on April 9.
“We will meet again after three months,” he said.
The issue was also raised by the PWD (building and national highway department) at the two-day deputy commissioner/superintendent of police meet that concluded yesterday. A source said the firm executing the project has told the PWD that it would not be able to continue work since the department had not been able to hand over encumbrance-free land to it.
It even sought price escalation if the PWD wanted to continue according to the tender clause. The original cost of the project was Rs 47 crore in 2010 but was revised to Rs 58 crore in 2011 because of additional features.
The PWD has acquired 40 bighas of private land and 80 bighas of government land.
It had even released the compensation amount of Rs 13.9 crore in 2009, following which the affected people moved court in May 2010.
But the court ruled in favour of the project on January 3, 2011.
“The district administration gave possession of the land to the PWD in February 2011 but it was not free of encumbrance. Since the PWD does not have the power to evict, work has been progressing at a very slow pace. One affected party dismantled his dwelling on his own after getting the compensation amount. The completion date was March 2012,” the source said.
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