Fighting for right to free and fair compensation: Affected landowners

Our Correspondent
NONEY, Feb 19 : The land owners of Longmai Bazar, Noney District HQ, affected by the expansion of National Highway-37 have appealed to the State Government to address their grievances at the earliest,
Speaking to media persons yesterday at Longmai Bazar, the landowners informed that the Government has failed to respond to the numerous memorandums submitted to relevant authorities to rectify the errors in the surveys, demarcation and assessment of compensation done by the departments concerned since July of 2021.
The landowners also clarified that they are genuinely claiming and fighting for their right to free and fair compensation.
They alleged that one bogus claimant, Sk Adipou, whose land and structure will never be affected by the double lane expansion of National Highway-37, has received over Rs 1 crore  as compensation.
They also informed that the Pucca buildings and Semi-pucca buildings genuinely affected by the highway expansion were estimated at under Rs 5 lakh.
The affected landowners continued that knowing the dissimilarities and existence of many left-out land & structures, they have repeatedly appealed to the authority concerned to look into the matter and rectify their errors before processing the payment of compensation money.
The landowners further cautioned that if the Government failed to address their grievances at the earliest, they would be compelled to launch a series of democratic forms of agitation.
The affected landowners also highlighted that as per an order passed by the High Court of Manipur in connection with Written Petition (Civil) No. 443 of 2022, dated June 16, 2022, a joint survey for assessing standing structures, trees, horticultural crops, etc, was scheduled by Deputy Commissioner Noney vide an order dated October 4, 2022 and survey report submitted by the DC to the Secretary (Revenue) on January 30, 2023.