Expansion of Shillong Airport
From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH: Land owners and the Umden Dorbar Pyllun have joined hands to pressurise the State Government to release the compensation package for the land owners affected by the Shillong Airport expansion project by the end of September.
The decision was taken at an emergent meeting held at Umden attended by the land owners, the Dorbar Pyllun and local legislator Stanley Wiss Rymbai.
The land owners have warned that if the State Government does not pay any heed to their demand, they will not hand over their land for the expansion of the Airport.
The Dorbar Pyllun also stated that they would be demanding interest for the compensation package from 2008 onwards since the Government had failed to release the compensation package at the right time.
“This is the right of the land owners for they had cooperated with the Government in bringing about development in the State. The Government must take initiative for releasing the package at the earliest for the betterment of the people of Umden Pyllun,” the legislator said.
Rymbai also informed that, recently during his meeting with the Airport Authority of India at Umroi, he was informed by the officials that AAI had already released land compensation packages for land owners and the delay was from the Government’s side.
He also informed that during the said meeting, he had discussed that a new road should be provided for the local people of Umden Pyllun in lieu of the existing PWD road which would be acquired for the expansion of the Airport.
It may be mentioned that the Dorbar has stopped the construction of the boundary wall of the Airport as they had not received any compensation from the Government.
“Once the compensation is paid the construction of boundary wall will be allowed immediately,” Dorbar sources added.
The State government is supposed to pay Rs 11.44 crore to the land owners as a compensation package.
When contacted, Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner Akashdeep said, “Once I get the money from the State Government I will immediately distribute it to the land owners.”