mann-slams-centre-on-raising-nhai-projects-law-order-issues

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday took a dig at the central government for blaming the law and order situation in Punjab while issuing a warning of terminating the highway projects in the state and asked the ruling dispensation to take care of the law and order situation in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.

 

In a riposte to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's warning to terminate eight highway projects, the chief minister contended that the National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) offered compensation was insufficient, leading to farmers' reluctance to relinquish land.

 

He further raised questions on the Centre's fixation on law and order, citing the absence of curfews in Punjab and contrasting it with the four-month curfew in Haryana's Nuh. He suggested the Centre focus on Uttar Pradesh's law and order situation instead.

 

The Chief Minister emphasized that land acquisition rates in Punjab, with its fertile soil, cannot be compared to other states like Odisha. He asserted that farmers would only part with land for fair compensation, dismissing law and order concerns.

 

In his letter to Gadkari, Mann reiterated Punjab's commitment to speedy project execution, with most road projects on track, barring a few exceptions. He attributed delays to land acquisition issues and inadequate compensation.

 

Gadkari had cited recent incidents on the Delhi-Katra Expressway, including an engineer's assault in Jalandhar and threats to engineers in Ludhiana, to highlight law and order concerns. Contractors have reportedly requested to foreclose contracts due to pending land acquisition issues and law and order worries.

 

In a separate development, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria met with administrative secretaries, which Punjab CM described as an introductory meeting, saying it would help the Governor understand the workings of the state administration.

 

Kataria reviewed central development projects and welfare schemes, pledging to act as a bridge between the Centre and Punjab for the state's development.