SAMBA: Apni Party, provincial president, Jammu, Manjit Singh along with villagers protested against the inadequate compensation being given to commercial land owners along Jammu-Pathankot National Highway (NH) in Samba district.
The protesters including shopkeepers, hoteliers, dhaba owners, Apni Party leaders and workers assembled outside the Deputy Commissioner Samba’s Office and protested against the unjustified compensation and payment being given in place of land being taken over for widening of the National Highway.
Speaking on the occasion, Manjit Singh said that the administration must consider the genuine demand of the shopkeepers, hoteliers and dhaba owners whose land has come under the NHAI project to widen the National Highway.
“However, these landowners (shopkeepers, hoteliers and dhaba owners) are being offered very little in comparison to the market value of the land being taken on the name of National Highway widening. These businessmen are not getting what they deserve. Rs 20 lakh per Kanal is being offered by the authorities which is a very less amount in comparison to the market price of the commercial piece of land which is being utilized by the NHAI for their projects,” he said.
He demanded that the land price being offered by the authorities must increase the cost at par with commercial price.
Meanwhile, the protesters led by Manjit Singh submitted a memorandum before the ADC Samba in support of their demands.
“We have warned the authorities that if the matter is not solved as per the wishes of the land owners and they are not given compensation/land price at par with commercial value, the people may come on the roads in support of their demands,” he said.
He also demanded compensation enhancement of this village and condemned the widening of junctions on the Highway by grabbing more land from the people and snatching commercial plots.
“Many families will lose their livelihood with the snatching of commercial plots in the name of development and widening of the National Highway,” he said.
