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Decision on Land Compensation in a month: Vilas Patil

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">District collector Vilas Patil, who was appointed arbitrator by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Morth) to decide on the compensatory amount given to farmers losing their land to the 9 Km Nashik-Sinnar bypass project, said that the process would be completed in a month.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Patil said, &quot;The farmers were demanding better remuneration for their land that has been acquired by the National Highway for construction of the Nashik-Sinnar and Sinnar bypass. They approached me and I assured them that a revised compensation will be considered and decided in a month.&quot;</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Nearly 50 of the 450 villagers whose land has been acquired for the road-widening and developing the four-lane highway from Nashik Road to Sinnar and Sinnar bypass (stretch of Nashik-Pune National Highway - NH 50) were demanding a higher compensatory amount.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The National Highway (NH) division of the state&#39;s Public Works Department (PWD) had sent a proposal to consider farmers&#39; demands in June 2013 to MoRTH. The ministry then appointed the collector as tribunal following the recommendations by the revenue commissioner and state government.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The farmers, however, approached the high court demanding a stay on the work of the highway. In December 2013, the high court asked the farmers to meet the tribunal for the same. The farmers then approached the collector.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">A total of 73 hectares of land was being acquired for the process that also included the 9 Km long Sinnar bypass. The farmers were given the rate of INR 1.5 lakh per guntha (fortieth part of an acre).</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">The farmers are demanding a rise in compensation, which is at par with what was given for the acquisition process of the Sangamner bypass - in the Ahmednagar district on NH-50.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">&quot;The demand is very high but we are sure to settle the issue in a month.&quot; Patil said.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#696969"><span style="font-size:11px"><span style="font-family:arial">Source-On Request</span></span></span></p>