JDA faces penalty in Ring Road Project

JAIPUR: The plight of Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) in connection with the Ring Road Project seems to be endless. Apart from the protesting farmers, the authority is faced with another problem. JDA has to pay a penalty amount if it fails to give possession of land for the project within a deadline.
According to an official source, the company awarded the work, Sanjosh Supreme, has deposited its financial closure on Thursday last week.The financial closure has been sent to the JDA law cell for examination. "After the document is examined, we have to make an agreement with the company within a period of eight days. At the time of the agreement, JDA has to assure the company of giving possession of the land," a JDA official said.
"The JDA has to give 60% of the required land for the project. If the authority is unable to do so, 0.01% of Rs 890 crore, which is the total project cost, will have to be given by JDA per day to the company as penalty."
But going by the farmers’ response in the ongoing negotiations between the farmers and the authorities, it look almost impossible that the JDA will able to take possession of the land.
In Chimanpura village of zone 14, farmers chased away officials who went for the demarcation on their land on Monday. The farmers are boycotting the project as they feel many disputes are still unresolved.
According to the farmers JDA was not allotting corner plots to farmers but kept them with it for auction.
Earlier, MP Mahesh Joshi had said farmers whose entire land was acquired will be provided Rs 1 lakh per bigha. However, his proposal has not been forwarded to the state government.
The Ring Road Sangharsh Samiti said in this project, land of around 1,500 farmers have been acquired and the government in return is giving them only 25% developed land. If farmers give their land, they will have to struggle for their existence, the samiti said.