A truck tries to negotiate a crater on NH31D. File picture

Siliguri, June 11: The National Highways Authority of India has given data to the Union ministry of economic affairs that shows that nearly 70 per cent of the land required for four-laning NH31D is already available, but because of land problems, 327 hectares has not been acquired yet.

According to the minutes of a meeting the NHAI held with the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee of the ministry of economic affairs in February this year, the total land required to make the highway four-lane is 1,072 hectares (2,648 acres).

The NHAI has also mentioned that 446 hectares (1,102 acres) or 42 per cent of the total required land was already available with the government. Of the remaining 626 hectares (1,546 acres), notification for acquisition of land has been made for 298.70 hectares (738 acres) under the National Highway Act, 1956.

This notification is the second step to land acquisition after the initial notification inviting objections. In case no land holder objects to the first notification in 21 days of its release, the second notification is issued.

According to the NHAI’s data, around 70 per cent of the land is either with the government or ready to be acquired.

But for around 327 hectares (808 acres), spread across Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, the NHAI has run into a land acquisition wall.

The highway authority has said the district administration has not been pro-active on acquiring land for the project.

The NH31D connects Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri districts with the rest of the country. The highway links the region with Bhutan and Bangladesh also. The total length of NH31D is around 155km and it starts from Ghoshpukur near Siliguri and ends at Salsalabari along the Assam border.

In other parts of the country work on the east-west corridor from Gujarat to Assam, of which NH31D is a part, is almost complete. The Bengal government’s hands-off land acquisition policy, which has stalled several other projects in south Bengal, also seems to be affecting this one.

“It is not that only the speed of vehicles would increase. A host of other facilities would be available like any other expressway,” an NHAI source said.

The data provided about the development measures or infrastructure along the highway corroborates the remarks made by the NHAI officials.

The report submitted by NHAI, during the meeting for approval of the proposal, shows that 38 big and 68 small bridges, 10 rail overbridges, one flyover, five vehicular underpasses, 13 pedestrian/cattle underpasses, two truck lay byes, 64 bus bays, three truck parking areas, three rest areas and 301 culverts are to be built. “Even if the highway is repaired and is in its best condition, there are delays in traffic movement because of railway level crossings located along the route, coupled with crowded areas and movement of slow traffic, cattle and pedestrians. The project, once executed, would also end all such problems,” the NHAI source said.

Also, 24 junctions of major roads and 75 junctions of minor roads would be improved to prevent traffic congestion, along with service roads of around 38km for movement of slower traffic by the side of the highway.

Three toll plazas would be built on the stretch, connecting Ghoshpukur on Siliguri’s outskirts with Salsalabari on the Bengal-Assam border.

A sum of Rs 3,119.6 crore has been sanctioned for the project, which includes Rs 907.60 crore for land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities.

North Bengal development Gautam Deb, who was instrumental in arranging talks among district officials and the NHAI, said they were ready to sit for talks again.

“We are ready for such talks on the land issue and want the four-lane road to be built in this part of the state. But right now, the existing road needs to be thoroughly repaired as it is in the worst condition. NHAI authorities should take up the issue with the Centre to obtain funds for repair or else, the Centre should provide funds to us so that we can carry out the repairs,” the minister said.