Orders land verification
Dimapur/Kohima, November 21 (MExN): The Gauhati High Court, on November 21, declined to stay the execution of the construction of the road Merangkong-Tamlu-Mon road, but issued direction for proper land verification within 30 days.
“The Court is not inclined to stay the execution of the work since the project is undertaken in public interest,” stated an order issued by Justice Kakheto Sema, after hearing submissions from counsels of both petitioners on Monday.
However, the Bench directed the State of Nagaland represented by the Chief Secretary; Chief Engineer, Public Works and Housing; and Deputy Commissioner, Mon to carry out the proper verification of the “land of the petitioners where the execution of the work is sought to be stayed for assessing the compensation, if any, payable to the petitioners.”
The verification shall be carried out within a period of 30 days from today and the Additional Advocate General shall submit the report of the verification of the land and the assessment of the compensation carried out by the State respondents on the next date fixed, it added, listing the matter for hearing again after 4 weeks.
The Bench was dealing with an interlocutory application filed by 17 individuals seeking for a direction to stay the execution of the construction on their land in the stretch of Merangkong-Tamlu-Mon road.
The petitioners sought stay of work till “fair land compensation is awarded to the landowner or an assurance is given by the respondents for compensating the affected landowner whose land has been arbitrarily acquired without payment of any compensation.”
The IA relates to a writ petition filed by the concerned individuals claiming that their lands have been affected by the construction of two-lane road but were never compensated. The matter was first heard on September 21, 2021.
