BIRATNAGAR, April 8: The construction of Barathwa-Biratnagar section of the cross-border railway between Nepal and India has hit a snag following dispute over land acquisition compensation package.
In a meeting among officials of Nepal, India and construction companies, the Indian side said that the delay in resolving disputes over the land acquisition compensation package as well as removing electric polls that stand along the railway route have created problems in the construction of the Barathwa-Biratnagar section of the cross-border railway.
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The Indian side has urged the Nepali side to immediately resolve the matter and pave the way for the construction, said under-secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure of the province, Ashok Sah. “They have said that if we can remove all hurdles immediately, the construction of the section can still be completed within the deadline,” he added.
“Still 10 per cent of the victims are yet to receive the land acquisition compensation and have been demanding more than what the government has offered to them. They have been posing various hurdles to obstruct the construction,” he said. The unsatisfied victims have also filed a case at the court.
According to him, the Indian side also said that the contractors are facing difficulty importing construction materials due to lengthy administrative procedures at the customs office.
Sah said that the provincial government will hold talks with the stakeholders and facilitate the construction of the railway section. The cross-border railway is being constructed with the financial support of the Indian government.
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