AGARTALA, July 10 ( TIWN): The construction of the first flyover of the State started few days back, has been hit as a section of people and shopkeepers under the banner of newly floated Bhoomi Suraksha Committee are unwilling to surrender their holdings for the project. The Nagarjuna Construction Company ltd. which is undertaking the project will be able to start full-fledged work only after the land is handed over by Agratala Municipal Corporation. The project, which was scheduled to be completed in 36 months, will be delayed further if land acquisition is not completed within the stipulate timeframe. Meanwhile, District Magistrate Dr. Milind Ramteke said land acquisition exercise from Nagerjala to Dropgate has been postponed for time being. Recently, the authority of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) issued notice to almost all residents and shop keepers to give up 9 feet land to undertake fly over project. However, they are reluctant to give up required land citing on the ground that they had already given land twice. A delegation of Bhoomi Suraksha Committee met District Magistrate (DM), West Tripura Dr. Milind K Ramteke on Thursday and gave him a memorandum seeking suspension of land acquisition for the fly over.

 The DM, who is also Agartala Municipal Commissioner, assured that he would look into the demand.

Sources claimed those who met the DM to stall the land acquisition process, don’t have valid document to claim their ownership over the land. In fact, most of the people have encroached government land. They will not get compensation over the Khash land and that’s why an agitation has been initiated by some vested interests.

The government has already decided to build a fly over from Drop Gate to Fire Brigade Chowmuhani in order to cease the traffic jam. Nagarjun Construction Company Ltd has already been assigned to construct the fly over. And, the government wants to construct the fly over.