Highway hiccups

THE termination of three national highway projects worth over Rs 3,300 crore by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is bad news for Punjab, which aspires to become a go-to destination not only for investors but also for tourists. The NHAI, which has also initiated the process for scrapping four other projects worth over Rs 4,940 crore, has flagged a major roadblock — an inordinate delay in the possession of acquired land due to tardy declaration of compensation by the authorities. Farmers’ resistance to land acquisition and disagreement over fixing of the award amount are the other contributory factors. Punjab has assured the NHAI that it will expedite acquisition, but coming up with offers that are acceptable to all stakeholders is a big challenge.

Unfinished highway projects are an eyesore for commuters as well as visitors. The ubiquitous traffic diversions cause inconvenience to motorists day in, day out. It is difficult for the state government to improve ease of doing business when the work on highways drags on indefinitely or is discontinued abruptly.

Much depends on offering the rightful sum to landowners. Even as land is acquired under the National Highways Act, 1956, compensation is decided as per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The award is supposed to be two to four times the determined market value of the land, but procedural anomalies and irregularities often lead to a stalemate or even litigation. These thorny issues must be sorted out in a time-bound manner. Punjab can take a cue from Telangana, one of the best-performing states in terms of providing a business-friendly environment. Earlier this week, Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy told district collectors to ensure that farmers who parted with their land for the construction of national highways got the maximum compensation as per law. A proactive approach can help Punjab turn a corner.