HUBBALLI: A retired postal employee in Dharwad has created a steep 'hump' on the road in front of his compound as he was dissatisfied by the 'paltry' compensation offered in exchange for his land.
Nagappa Mahadevappa Aravalad, a resident of Rahjaninagar in the Sattur area of Dharwad, created the structure to block vehicles from using the land that belongs to him.
He said he did not agreed to cede his land for the road as the authorities were offering compensation based on land prices prevalent decades ago.
"The officials are telling me to agree to compensation which is drawn as per the original price of the land and not in the current times. Will the officials take 20-year-old salary," he asked.
He alleged that he has not surrendered the plot admeasuring around 1090 sq ft, and therefore the authorities have no right to construct the land on 'his property'.
"There was no notice from the government before they bulldozed our boundary stone and laid the road. The road makers assured me that compensation would be given soon by MLA Aravind Bellad.
"Though the entire concrete road was completed in Sattur there were no talks about compensation. I am losing a total of one gunta land for the road construction and we are demanding money as per the current market value We are also fine if the government gives us a site in the same area,” Nagappa said.
Nagappa said he has laid concrete till the original boundary point and he has old revenue maps to prove that the land belongs to him.
In the last three months, several government officials, including the corporation commissioner and police officers, have visited the site and tried to negotiate with Nagappa.
There have been regular traffic snarls and inconvenience to the general public as only half part of the newly laid road can be used at his juncture. “The dispute has existed for a long time and the owner has put cement on the road in such a way that no vehicles can use the road. The authorities must solve the issue at the earliest to help the locals,” said a resident from Sattur.