22 august 2024 : On Tuesday, the district administration successfully acquired land in two locations—Fatehabad and Khuaspur villages—for the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, subsequently transferring it to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
Farmers in these villages had been opposing the acquisition of their land, demanding increased compensation. According to Tarn Taran District Commissioner Sandeep Kumar, the administration took possession of 1.3 kilometers of land in Fatehabad and 1.2 kilometers in Khuaspur with the consent of the respective landowners.
Following the acquisition, the administration handed over the land to the NHAI to commence work on the expressway. Kumar noted that the landowners were fully cooperative during the possession process.
In a recent correspondence dated August 9, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari cautioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that the NHAI would be compelled to cancel or terminate eight significantly impacted highway projects in Punjab, totaling 293 kilometers and costing ₹14,288 crore, if the law and order situation in the state does not improve.
Gadkari’s letter also addressed the delays in land acquisition and mentioned two incidents in Jalandhar and Ludhiana where NHAI personnel and contractors involved in the Delhi-Katra Expressway faced assaults and threats.
In response, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann attributed the delays in land acquisition to the NHAI and indicated that the incidents of threats and violence in Jalandhar and Ludhiana were linked to its concessionaire or contractor. Mann assured the Union Minister that the Punjab Police was dedicated to addressing the safety concerns of the NHAI, and local police had been instructed to establish patrolling teams in the area to uphold law and order. Furthermore, the Chief Minister stated that the Chief Secretary was conducting regular review meetings with deputy commissioners and the NHAI regional office to address existing challenges.
