Punjab CM Mann slams Centre for citing unrest issues in NHAI projects

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the Central government for attributing delays in National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects in the state to law and order issues. Mann responded to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's warning that highway projects in Punjab could be terminated if the situation did not improve, asserting that the real issue was the "inadequate" compensation offered to farmers for land acquisition. Mann pointed out that the delays were due to disputes over land acquisition rates between farmers and the NHAI, rather than any law and order concerns. He questioned why the Centre was focusing on law and order, stating, "On every issue, they say law and order," and emphasised that no curfew had been imposed in Punjab in the past two and a half years. In contrast, he highlighted that Haryana's Nuh district had been under curfew for four months and suggested that the Centre should instead focus on law and order in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. In a letter to Gadkari, Mann reiterated that land prices in Punjab are higher than in other states, such as Odisha, due to the fertility of the land, and farmers are unwilling to sell at low rates. He asserted that there was no law and order issue, but rather a need for fair compensation for farmers. Gadkari's letter had cited two recent incidents on the Delhi-Katra Expressway projects where engineers were assaulted and threatened, attributing these events to the broader law and order situation in Punjab. He also noted that due to unresolved land acquisition issues and the current situation, several contractors had requested to terminate contracts and raised claims against the NHAI. In response to a separate question about Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria's recent meeting with administrative secretaries, Mann downplayed the significance, describing it as an introductory meeting. Kataria, who also serves as the administrator of Chandigarh, had reviewed central development projects and welfare schemes during the meeting, stating his intention to act as a bridge between the Centre and the Punjab government for the state's development. (ET)