Assam: Harangajao highway project hits deadlock as affected families await compensation

Construction of a four-lane national highway in Assam’s Dima Hasao district has been disrupted in the Harangajao area after residents of five affected villages demanded payment of pending compensation for land, plantations and residential properties acquired for the project.

More than 100 families are reportedly affected by the highway project being executed under a new Detailed Project Report (DPR). The affected residents have alleged that despite repeated assurances from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over the past two years, several families are yet to receive compensation.

The dispute has intensified as work on the Jatinga-Harangajao stretch approaches completion. Two lanes of the section were formally opened to vehicular traffic on August 25. However, residents of the affected villages have opposed further construction until the compensation issue is resolved.

Since August 31, the residents have demanded that the construction agency, Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon Private Limited, suspend work. Construction activities on the stretch have consequently remained largely suspended for the past nine days.

NHAI officials subsequently held a meeting with representatives of the affected villages at Kapurchera on Tuesday to resolve the dispute. The meeting was attended by NHAI Regional Officer for the North-East Zone Sabyasachi Choudhury, Additional Deputy Commissioner A.K. Iliyas Nasim Ahmed, DSP (Headquarters) Raghav Baishya, Autonomous Council Land and Revenue Officer Jaisoraj Garlosa and village heads representing the five affected villages.

During the meeting, NHAI officials urged the village representatives to withdraw their decision to keep construction suspended. The authorities initially sought 45 days to facilitate payment of the pending compensation, but later reduced the proposed timeframe to 30 days.

Choudhury assured the villagers that the outstanding compensation would be paid within 30 days.

The assurance, however, failed to resolve the impasse. The village heads said they could not independently revoke the decision to halt construction, as the issue directly concerns families affected by the project.

They said meetings would first be held with the affected families in all five villages to ascertain their views. A decision on whether to allow construction to resume would be taken only after these consultations and would subsequently be conveyed to the project director.

The residents also pointed to earlier assurances regarding compensation, saying previous commitments had not resulted in payment. They therefore expressed reluctance to resume work solely on the basis of another assurance.

The village heads said the next course of action would depend on the outcome of consultations with the affected families.

The NHAI meeting consequently failed to break the deadlock. Further discussions with affected families from the five villages are scheduled to determine whether construction work can resume on the Jatinga-Harangajao stretch.