A conference of people affected by the project was held on Monday at the Kalibari temple in Shimla, amidst the ongoing controversy on the four-lane national highway between Kaithalighat and Dhali in district Shimla. The conference was held under a joint call of Himachal Kisan Sabha, City and other organizations.
Nine affected panchayats Solan and Nine people of Shimla attended the meeting to attend the meeting.
The conference prominently extended the demand for compensation to families, whose houses were recently damaged or Bhattakufar, in Shimla, with six nearby houses, were allegedly destroyed by the four-lane project. The meeting demanded an immediate arrangement for the rehabilitation of those who have been displaced after their homes, they were declared unsafe.
The participants called for the formation of an expert committee to assess the loss. The committee, he said, engineers from both central and state governments should include, and if possible, work should be done under judicial supervision to ensure proper assessment.
State President of Himachal Kisan Sabha, Dr. Kuldeep Singh Tanwar said that the effect of four-lane construction is not limited to Shimla alone, but such projects are going on, being felt throughout the state. He reported that various developmental projects in Himachal – including hydroelectric projects, railway lines, transmission lines and airports – are being executed with very little relationship for environmental concerns.
“Most of the farmers of the state are small and marginal, which have limited land for livelihood. However, in the name of development, their land is being acquired without adequate compensation. The Kisan Sabha has demanded that the compensation be paid under factor -2 (four -time market rate), as Himachal Pradesh High Court said.
He further stated that while 45–55 meters of land is acquired for four-lane roads, the nearest land is unstable by cutting a hill at an angles of 60–90 degrees, causing landslides. Illegal dumping of construction debris has damaged pastures, farms and water sources.
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“Neither the State Government nor the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is addressing these serious issues. A district-level valuation committee was about to review the work monthly, but no such reviews have been done so far. As a result, farmers are only getting huge cost compared to the acquired land, and need to be recognized in the compensation rules.”
Addressing the gathering, Sanjay Chauhan, a leader of the Himachal Kisan Sabha, called all the affected people to unite and intensify their struggle. He said that without unity, it is not possible to get justice. He announced a protest at the NHAI office at Chakar, Shimla on 16 July and appealed for maximum participation. Chauhan also said that meetings will be held in the affected panchayats between Kaithalighat and Dhali in the coming days to intensify the movement.
Representatives of various organizations – including Vijendra Mehra, Jagat Ram, Vivek Kashyap, Ramkant Mishra, Falma Chauhan, Sonia Sabarwal, Jagmohan Thakur, Rajendra Chauhan, Pratap Thakur, Anil and Sunny were also present in the meeting.
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