Tree compensation dispute stalls Balurghat–Hili rail expansion

BALURGHAT: Work on the Balurghat–Hili railway line expansion has once again come to a standstill, this time over the non-payment of compensation for trees, even though land compensation has already been disbursed.

Landowners have refused to allow the felling of trees on their plots until they receive the pending payments.

The Balurghat–Hili railway line expansion, covering a distance of 29.7 kilometres, had resumed after a long gap following a public interest litigation filed by a retired teacher in September 2022.

Acting on the directions of the Calcutta High Court, work on the project restarted after nearly 12 years. However, repeated hurdles have slowed down execution, with the latest dispute centring on compensation for trees standing on acquired land.

The Northeast Frontier Railway had provided around Rs 300 crore to the district administration for land acquisition. In two phases, the South Dinajpur district administration handed over a total of 386.416 acres of land required for the project. While compensation for land and various structures has reportedly been paid to the affected landowners, payment for the trees has not yet been settled, giving rise to new complications.

Construction of 11 structures under the project began in May 2023. Although several works are nearing completion, progress on bridge construction has stalled at the final stage. In Shyampur under Hili police station, landowners have stopped tree-cutting, preventing contractors from dumping soil and laying the railway track.

Land donor Angur Laha said that despite receiving compensation for land, he and others were yet to receive payment for trees. He stated: “Allowing trees to be cut before compensation is paid could result in permanent loss, as there would be no guarantee of reimbursement later.”

He added that repeated appeals to the district land acquisition office have yielded no result so far. He also noted that the delay has caused hardship to landowners alongside the disruption to the railway project. Echoing the concern, engineer Balaram Yadav of the railway’s contracting agency said: “The presence of trees on the eastern side of the under-construction railway bridge in Shyampur has halted earth-filling work.”

He confirmed that the issue has been reported to higher authorities, warning that the delay is affecting the overall pace of the project.