The Mizoram Public Works Department (PWD) has begun disbursing Rs 7.4 crore in supplementary compensation to 185 landowners affected by the Aizawl bypass project between Sihhmui and Muallungthu, with the process expected to conclude by October 23.
The payments follow a warning from the Aizawl Bypass Road Western Side Landowners Welfare Association that it would halt road-laying work from November 1 if its demands were not met. The association had sought the release of Rs 7.4 crore by the end of October and greater transparency in compensation payments.
The PWD had sanctioned Rs 13.3 crore for the current round of supplementary compensation, following the first instalment disbursed in December last year. The project is being implemented under the PM-DevINE scheme.
On October 6, the association, which claims around 348 people were affected by land acquisition along the Sihhmui–Muallungthu stretch, alleged irregularities in compensation payments and a lack of transparency. It also questioned discrepancies in PWD responses to Right to Information (RTI) queries, claiming more than 100 landowners were still awaiting payments, against official figures indicating that only 17 beneficiaries remained unpaid.
The association has sought publication of a list of beneficiaries and the amounts paid. It has also demanded immediate land measurements for those who opted for Land Settlement Certificates instead of monetary compensation.
Other demands include settling claims from stone quarry owners affected by the project, disposing of excavated earth at designated dumping sites, and compensating for crops and plantations damaged by landslides or dumped earth.
