Balurghat-Hili Rly project: ‘Land acquisition to be completed in 45 days’

BALURGHAT: The long-standing hurdles over land ownership and inheritance disputes have finally been resolved, clearing the way for the Balurghat-Hili railway extension project.

The South Dinajpur district administration has announced that the remaining land acquisition process will be completed and the land will be handed over to Indian Railways within the next one and a half months. The 29.7-kilometre railway line extension from Balurghat to Hili requires the acquisition of 166 hectares (approximately 355 acres) of land. The land is being acquired by the Railways through the state government. Over 1,000 landowners are involved in this ambitious project.

Earlier, the district administration had already handed over 13.7 kilometres of land to the Railways. Based on that, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has begun laying new tracks from Balurghat to Kamarpara, with a sanctioned budget of Rs 315 crore. The remaining stretch from Kamarpara to Hili is now undergoing land acquisition.

District Magistrate Bijn Krishna said: “Some complications regarding shared ownership and land titles have now been resolved. The remaining land is currently being acquired. Once the paperwork is complete, the land will be handed over to the Railways. We expect to finish the process within 45 days.”

The Balurghat-Hili rail extension was first announced in 2010 by the Ministry of Railways. Pillars for a railway bridge over the Atreyee River and other smaller water bodies were constructed. However, the project stalled midway after the Railways failed to directly acquire the required land. In 2012, they sought assistance from the South Dinajpur administration.

Following that, the district initiated land surveys, valuation and related formalities. Among 1,552 plots, 21 landowners initially objected and hearings were conducted to resolve the disputes. Once cleared, the necessary information was sent to the Railways, and a gazetted notification was issued about five years ago. The project, however, came to a standstill for unknown reasons and eventually reached the courts.