DEHRADUN: Mussoorie, registered as the 'Queen of the Hills' on India's tourism map, is set to become significantly more accessible from Delhi and across the country in the near future.
The upcoming elevated road project on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway will reduce overload, allowing vehicles to reach Mussoorie directly. This project will also bring relief from traffic congestion for the residents of Dehradun city.
Banshidhar Tiwari, Vice-Chairman of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), confirmed to this newspaper, "Land acquisition will be carried out in 26 localities to build the 26 km long elevated road in Dehradun. Land will be acquired by demolishing 2,614 houses built along the banks of the Rispana and Bindal rivers."
Officials associated with the project anticipate a significant reduction in travel time, stating, "Once the project becomes operational, tourists traveling from Delhi to Mussoorie will be able to reach their destination in just four hours by their own vehicle."
The elevated road, which will cost Rs 6,100 crore, involves land acquisition for which property owners will receive compensation. According to government sources, no proposal for providing land-for-land compensation to property owners in lieu of acquired land has been prepared at the state government level so far.
The district administration considers it likely that only monetary compensation will be provided to property owners for land acquisition. Sources revealed that the administration is proceeding on the assumption that affected individuals will receive compensation for their land, particularly since the proposed land bank has not been inspected and no progress has been made on a new one.
Government sources indicated that affected individuals would have two potential options - monetary compensation or land in exchange for land. Consideration is typically first given to rehabilitating affected persons by providing land in exchange for their land. A proper rehabilitation policy is essential for this, under which land allocation and other facilities are provided to the affected. This policy is formulated at the government level.
The process of marking houses falling under the ambit of land acquisition with red signs has already commenced. A social impact survey will also be completed within 15 days.
Regarding the land acquisition policy, the government has not yet prepared any proposal. Land proposed by the MDDA and Nagar Nigam as a land bank has not yet been inspected, and there is no indication of a new land bank being considered. Thus, the administration considers it certain that affected individuals will only be given compensation in exchange for their land. The district administration is making its preparations accordingly.