Indefinite strike to demand compensation for land acquired for

A group of landowners of Sairang and Sihhmui villages near Aizawl have called for an indefinite strike from Wednesday to protest the government's "failure" to pay compensation for the additional land acquired for the construction of railway line between Sairang and Bairabi.

Sihhmui village council president J Laltlanthanga told PTI that the proposed indefinite strike will be only in additional land acquisition areas in Sairang and Sihhmui villages.

He said the landowners have served a stay order to contractors to stop their construction work in the additional land acquired areas as the government "failed" to compensate them for their damaged lands.

He claimed that about 70 families are yet to receive compensation for their lands acquired additionally for construction of broad gauge railway track between Sairang and Bairabi.

"The move (indefinite strike) is just to draw attention from the Centre and not to impede the ongoing construction of the railway line," he said.

The village council president said that compensation for additional land acquisition along the Bairabi-Sairang railway was already processed in 2016 and the deputy commissioner of Aizawl district in accordance with Railway Act 1989 had already proposed for the award of compensation in 2019.

However, the Railway ministry delayed disbursement of the compensation, he said.

Laltlanthanga said the indefinite strike will be called off once the railway ministry compensates them for their damaged lands as per the award made by the competent authority.

The construction of a 51-km broad-gauge line between Sairang near Aizawl and Bairabi bordering Assam began in 2015 and was scheduled to be completed by 2022.