Demanding compensation for their lands, local people in Mizoram have forced a stop to the road construction work of the Kaladan multipurpose project by India and Burma.
The project has been undertaken by the Mizoram Public Works Department (PWD) and the road construction has started from Lawngtlai district to Zochhachhuak village. A group called Lawngtlai to Indo-Myanmar Border Road Land Owners Association has asked the department to stop work.
The chairman of the association said, “We had requested for compensation for our lands since last year October, but we didn’t get any compensation till date and our association asked Lawngtlai Deputy Commissioner (DC) to stop work.”
A report said that Mizoram state government has already paid compensation to 100 land owners, but another 400 have not got it yet.
A member of the group said that they have requested the government to pay Rs. 50 per a square foot as compensation and if the government does not agree they will not allow construction of the Kaladan multipurpose road.
Only 18 kilometres are left for the road to be completed between Lawngtlai and Zochhachhuak village. The total length is about 99 kilometres, which has been undertaken by the Mizoram Public Works Department (PWD) and is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs, India. The rest of the road from Zochhachhuak to Chin state is to be constructed by the Burmese government.