Peshawar: A Senate panel has directed the district administration and the communication ministry to compensate the people who provided their land for ‘Kaghan-Babusar Top Road’ project as per the incumbent market rates, a news source reported.
The landowners say that they have yet to receive their payments from the authorities concerned. The Kaghan-Babusar Top Road project was launched 17 years ago.
A meeting of the Senate sub-committee on communication took up the issue. Senator Behramand Khan Tangi, National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Jawad Rafiq Malik, and other officials concerned were all present at the occasion.
Senator Salahuddin Tirmizi informed the meeting that the land for the said project had been valued at PKR 380 million some 17 years ago. He added that the landowners have requested that they receive PKR 2.16 billion under the revised market rates.
However, the district administration of Mansehra has suggested a compensation amount of PKR 1.47 billion. Moreover, the NHA officials are in talks with the land providers.
In response, Senator Tangi said that the request put forth by the landowners seeking 6% mark-up on unpaid amount is justified. He ordered the authorities concerned to wind up the matter on an immediate basis.
