Aizawl, Oct 27 (IANS): For the first time, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) would provide compensation to two parties claiming the same plots of land to undertake the construction work of a four-lane highway between Vairengte and Sairang in Mizoram, officials said here on Sunday.

A Mizoram government official said that the breakthrough of the long pending compensation dispute issue was achieved during a meeting between the Chief Minister and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi last week.

The proposed 132 km long four-lane highway between Vairengte, near the Assam border and Sairang, near Aizawl, is a very vital surface link between the Mizoram capital and the rest of the country. The double-lane highway is now connected with the National Highway-306 via Assam.

“Due to the long pending deadlock over compensation to two land owners of the same land, the work for the proposed four-lane highway linking Vairengte and Sairang, could not be started for many years,” the official said.

Confirming the decision of the MoRTH to pay compensation to two land owners for the same plot of land, the Chief Minister also said that the Central government has agreed to pay compensation to both landowners and also to the state’s Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department.

He said that the Forest Department would get Rs 90 crore as compensation while two landowners would get Rs 110 crore.

The work for the proposed four-lane highway was delayed due to unresolved claims over land ownership between landowners and the state Forest Department.

The Chief Minister stated that during his last week’s meeting with the Union Minister, he apprised the Central Minister that the construction of a four-lane highway between Vairengte and Sairang cannot be started as forest clearance also could not be obtained.

The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Mizoram Chief Secretary to find an alternative solution to the highway construction problem.

Lalduhoma said that though there is no policy of awarding compensation to two parties claiming the same plot of land, he had requested Gadkari to award compensation to both.

“The Minister assured that Rs 90 crores would be given as compensation to the Forest Department while an amount of Rs 110 crores would be allocated to those landowners with valid documents,” the Chief Minister said.