Meet on highway compensation

TT, Siliguri, Oct. 30: A section of businessmen has expressed disappointment over the way compensation was decided while removing shops to make way for the Asian Highway II stretch, connecting the India-Nepal border to the India-Bangladesh border.

The businessmen today met Nirmal Mondal, the project director of Asian Highway II, at his office. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is financing the project.

"We met the project director and pointed out certain lapses on the part of the officials. No public consultation was held as per the norms of the ADB and the grievance redress committee, which should have been formed along with representatives of the affected people like us, has not been formed," Ujjal Aich, general secretary of Bagdogra Pathi Parshostho Byabsayee Samiti, said.

He said there have been discrepancies in payment of compensation to over 1,000 businessmen evicted in Bagdogra. "A person who has a temporary shop has been paid Rs 3.5 lakh while one with a shop in a concrete building and more area has been paid only Rs 1.5 lakh. We have pointed out these anomalies," Aich said.

He added that a proposed market complex which was supposed to be built by the north Bengal development department for them was under construction. "Had the construction started earlier, we could have shifted. If the issues are not resolved, we will have no other alternative but to launch a movement," he said.

The issue has also led to a rift among businessmen. While some are with the Bagdogra Byabsayee Samiti, others are supporting another association which has known Trinamul leaders as office bearers.

Prabir Roy, a Trinamul leader and representative of the other association, said: "Compensation has been paid and businessmen are spontaneously shifting shops and establishments as work to widen the road will commence shortly. None of our members were there in today's meeting."

Mondal said if people had problems, "a grievance redressal mechanism is in place and they can articulate the grievances there."