Bandipora villagers demand compensation for land taken for road project in 2014

Bandipora, Nov 4: Villagers from Dardpora in north Kashmir's Bandipora district are annoyed with the R&B department for not paying compensation to those whose land was taken for a road project in 2014.

A delegation of villagers said the road from Dardpora to Nagwani was built under the NABARD wing of the department.

"The road was completed in two years," said Ali Mohammad, a local village head. He said all the components, including macadamisation, were done.

However, the affected villagers were never compensated despite promises.

"We are about 35 families who lost land to the road and we haven't received a penny till this day, despite the government's assurances," Mohammad said.

The villagers said they had completed all the documentation formalities and submitted their files to the authorities, but no one was paying attention to their pleas.

"We are poor villagers. The concerned authorities must look into our plight," the affected villagers said.

Some villagers lost five to 10 marla of land, while others had to demolish their houses or abandon the house foundations as the road project was taken up, the villagers said.

They said they had approached the NABARD office several times, but they were only given vague assurances that funds would be released soon.

"This has been going on for nine years now without any progress," they said.

The villagers said the department was not serious and had deliberately delayed the process of moving the file to the higher authorities for reasons best known to them.

They said if the higher authorities had been notified about the issue, they might have received their compensation, but that was not happening.

The villagers now appealed to the Lieutenant Governor's administration to take note of the issue and resolve it as soon as possible.