ROURKELA: Efforts by the Sundargarh district administration and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to start construction work for the second Brahmani bridge on Dandiapali side has yet again hit the wall of protests by affected villagers. Continuing their protests over compensation, the project oustees prevented construction vehicles from moving through their land for the second day on Monday.
Officials of Lathikata block and Tehsil offices accompanied by police on Sunday had tried to start groundwork on the alienated government land at Dandiapali on the other side of Brahmani river but were stalled by the protestors.
NHAI sources informed that around 17 Dandiapali houses are located on the alignment of the partially-constructed bridge’s approach road. Four of them have taken compensation money and the rest 13 are protesting since long.
They want higher compensation on par with evicted persons on the Rourkela side of the river at Balughat. Three weeks back, Sundargarh Collector SK Meena and NHAI Project Director Sourav Chaurasia had visited the area and assured the affected persons of all possible help. But, the affected persons want settlement of the compensation issue before allowing work to start.
Sources said the NHAI is willing to pay higher compensation and the district administration is working out a solution to the issue. They said the affected persons should trust the administration and NHAI and should not desist from stopping the work.
Lathikata BDO, RC Soren said the protestors have filed an arbitration case with the administration for higher compensation and disposal of the case is scheduled for January 4. Till disposal of the case, some of them had consented to allow movement of vehicles through their land to start work on Government land. However, after protests the process was stopped, said the BDO, who hoped that work will start after disposal of the arbitration case.
Earlier, in first week of December the administration had removed encroachment from Ruputola, connecting Balughat, on the Rourkela side of the river, which indicated that there would not be any alteration to the bridge alignment.
Till now, seven piles of the abutment at Balughat have been concretised to the full depth. However, there has been no progress at Dandiapali side. The first package for rehabilitation of oustees and upgradation of NH-143 from Birmitrapur to Balughat (Rourkela) including second Brahmani bridge amounts to Rs 381.75 crore.