Chandigarh, 3 January 2025 – The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is facing a delay in acquiring 103 km of land required to complete 15 highway projects across Punjab, spanning a total length of 604 km. Progress on three segments of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra (DAK) expressway has also stalled due to ongoing farmer protests, despite significant land acquisition for the project.
The NHAI has requested support from Punjab’s administrative and law enforcement agencies to secure possession of the remaining land and resume work on these stalled stretches.
In contrast, construction is actively underway on 22 highway projects covering 740 km, where all necessary land has been acquired. Currently, the NHAI is overseeing 37 projects in Punjab with a combined length of 1,344 km. Many of these had previously faced delays due to land disputes and protests but resumed following a warning from Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, who suggested withdrawing projects if land acquisition issues persisted.
Following the minister’s statement, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, former Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav accelerated land acquisition efforts. Their efforts secured over 94% of the needed land by engaging with farmers and offering them improved compensation.
In a recent letter to Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, the NHAI raised concerns about unresolved land disputes. The letter noted, “Possession of 102.73 km out of 604 km for 15 projects remains pending. Assistance from the administration and police is essential to complete these acquisitions.”
Delays in land handover have disrupted work on key infrastructure projects, including the DAK expressway, a significant initiative for improving connectivity in Punjab.