JOWAI: Jaintia Hills based pressure groups including the Jaintia Youth Federation (JYF) and the Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) have demanded that the construction of the Jowai Malidor Road NH 44 be temporarily stopped as the Construction Company GR Infrastructure has not yet obtained Trading License from JHADC, and Work Permits from the Labour Department as most of its workers are immigrants besides clearance from the Forest Department of Both JHADC and State Forest is also required.
JYF and JSU activists led by their presidents, Poipynhun Majaw and Rikut N Parien met the Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills on Friday at his office chamber and submitted a representation in this regard.
JSU president informed that the same representation will be submitted to the WJH Deputy Commissioner and also to the JHADC Chief on Monday.
The NHAI has also not yet paid any land compensation to the land owners despite their land and properties have been acquired by the NHAI for the purpose of the road expansion.
Both JSU and JYF leaders also informed that land owners in East and West Jaintia Hills are complaining of such action taken by the District Administration for allowing the Company to execute the construction work without any amount of land compensation is being paid to them.
“We will take up the matter with the JHADC chief in connection with the Trading License”, the JYF Presidents said after meeting with the EJH DC.
“It is really surprising that the EJH District Administration has allowed the company to start executing the works without following the legal procedures”, Majaw added.
“The DC as the head of the District should properly verified the documents of the Company before giving permission to start the works”, Majaw further stated.
According to him, the Company should first obtain Trading License, Labour License, Forest Clearance and other illegal producers applied in the Scheduled areas as per the Sixth Schedule.
The JYF and the JSU have demanded that the execution of the project be temporarily halted till the Construction Company complies with all such procedures.
