Row over unpaid compensation
By Our Reporter
Shillong: The KSU Mawryngkneng circle along with the affected farmers have threatened to hit the streets and stage a hunger strike in Shillong following the Government’s failure to pay the compensation to the farmers affected by the construction of the Two Lane Shillong Bye-Pass carried out by GR Infra Company at Mawryngkneng in East Khasi Hills.
Disclosing this, KSU Mawryngkneng president Wallambok Kharsati said on Monday that in a meeting attended by the affected residents of Mawryngkneng last week, it was unanimously decided that the farmers of the area along with the KSU members would stage a hunger strike at the capital to draw the Government’s attention.
“We have apprised the matter to the State Government several times. And it is high time that the ignored farmers get what they rightfully deserve”, Kharsati said.
Since last year, the farmers have been demanding the government to pay compensation for the loss they suffered due to illegal dumping of soil into the paddy fields by the workers of GR Infra Company. The illegal dumping of soil meant that these land could no longer be used for cultivation purpose thereby adversely affecting the livelihood of the farmers. Meanwhile, defending his stand, Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills Sanjay Goyal stated that construction of the bye-pass has been entrusted to the GR Infra Company and it is the organisation’s duty to pay compensation to the farmers.
“The administration is aware of the losses met by the farmers and the impact it had on them. We are assessing the whole issue and working things out with the company”, Goyal said. It may be mentioned that the then EKH DC, J Lyngdoh had asked officials of the company to conduct an assessment and submit the findings report on the alignments and the like. However, no action has been taken in this regard and in his recent statement, Goyal has pushed the responsibility to the state government saying, “It is difficult to decide about this issue at my level”.
Meanwhile, the KSU Mawryngkneng circle had also submitted a memorandum to the PWD minister HDR Lyngdoh recently apprising him of the problem, but the approach yielded no results.