Resilient Mizoram: Despite Landowners’ Protests, Kolasib District’s Connectivity Stands Strong
Ongoing Blockades in Mizoram Highlight Land Disputes, Vehicle Movement on NH-306 Unaffected
Protests erupted in Mizoram’s Kolasib district over longstanding land ownership disputes but vehicle movement on National Highway-306 (NH-306), the primary route connecting the state with Assam, remained stable on September 25, thanks to significant police presence.
The agitation saw over 2,000 landowners initiating an indefinite blockade of NH-306 at Sethawn, demanding the resolution of ownership disputes and the removal of a freeze on lands claimed as private. Despite confrontations between protesters and law enforcement, which resulted in some minor injuries, heavy police deployment ensured that traffic flow was maintained.
The Kolasib District Land Owners’ Association (KDLOA) alleged that the state forest department had designated their long-held lands along NH-306 and NH-6 as Roadside Reserve Forest (RRF) in 2020. This classification effectively froze these lands, intensifying the dispute. The impasse has stalled a crucial highway widening project approved by the Centre, aimed at expanding NH-306 and NH-6 in the Aizawl district, which was to be executed by the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
The KDLOA argued that the forest department’s declaration of an 800-metre strip on either side of the highways as RRF coincided with the announcement of the widening project, exacerbating the conflict between the state’s forest and revenue departments.
In an effort to resolve the issue, the Supreme Court recently instructed the Gauhati High Court to expedite its decision regarding the RRF notification within three months. The court also recommended that Mizoram’s chief secretary convene a meeting with the secretaries of the forest and revenue departments to address the ongoing land dispute.
The outcome of these judicial and administrative actions will be crucial in determining the future of both the disputed lands and the delayed highway project, with broader implications for infrastructure and development in the region.
Original Story https://www.indiatodayne.in/mizoram/story/mizorams-connectivity-stable-amid-landowners-protests-in-kolasib-district-1097985-2024-09-25?utm_source=rssfeed
Category :
Tags:
