As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to review the progress of national highway projects in Punjab on Wednesday, including the much-anticipated Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, the State Government has sprung into action. Ahead of the high-stakes meeting, Punjab’s Chief Secretary Anurag Verma has written to the state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, requesting the deployment of police forces to ensure the smooth acquisition of land required for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects in Malerkotla and Kapurthala districts.

Verma, in his letter, emphasized the urgency of securing two critical yet small stretches of land — 1.34 kilometers in Malerkotla and 1.25 kilometers in Kapurthala — by August 27, 2024. He noted that with adequate police presence, these sections could be swiftly acquired, allowing the state to present a favourable progress report during the Prime Minister’s meeting.

The Chief Secretary’s correspondence is part of a broader effort to address delays in land acquisition, a key bottleneck that has slowed down the ambitious highway projects, including the NHAI’s flagship project Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway.

The letter came amidst a prolonged standoff between the Punjab Government and the Centre over land acquisition for NHAI projects. The dispute has been a thorny issue, with the Centre, led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, previously warning that delays in land acquisition could lead to the cancellation of key projects. Gadkari had also raised concerns over assaults on contractors and their workers, further complicating the situation.

Currently, NHAI has 293 kilometers of highway projects underway in Punjab, with an estimated cost of Rs 14,288 crore.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier assured the Centre of the state’s cooperation, clarifying that delays were primarily due to the high land prices in Punjab. Mann also pointed out that FIRs lodged against contractors were based on legitimate grievances. The ongoing negotiations, which included meetings with Punjab’s new Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, underscored the complexity of the situation.

The State Government, following backlash from the Centre, had also intensified efforts to resolve issues with protesting farmers, in the past few days, offering enhanced compensation and clarifying the legal repercussions of illegally occupying acquired lands.

It has been reported that districts such as Patiala, Sangrur, and Pathankot have fully transferred the necessary land for the construction of the 669-kilometer, four-lane, access-controlled Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, which connects Jasaur Kheri in Jhajjar district near Delhi to Katra in Jammu.

The remaining districts — Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Malerkotla, and Gurdaspur — have achieved up to 97 percent land acquisition success.

Chief Secretary Verma emphasized that both civil and police administrations have been fully mobilized to ensure the smooth, peaceful, and timely completion of all highway projects across the state, particularly the Katra expressway.

PM Modi’s Review Meeting today

Prime Minister Modi’s meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday will be a crucial review of NHAI’s projects in Punjab, with the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway prominently on the agenda. In response to the impending review, the Punjab Government has intensified its efforts to resolve the land acquisition issues that have been stalling progress. Verma’s letter to the DGP is a clear signal that the State is taking concrete steps to meet the Centre’s expectations.  The Chief Secretary’s letter directed the DGP to ensure that land acquisition in the two identified stretches is completed under the supervision of District Magistrates and Sub-Divisional Magistrates, with the presence of sufficient police forces to handle any resistance from landowners or local groups. The deployment is deemed necessary to avoid further delays and ensure that the state can present a satisfactory progress report during the PM’s meeting.

Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway: A High-Stakes Project

The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is a four-lane project being developed in 18 phases, 11 of which pass through Punjab. Given its significance, the project has been placed at the top of the agenda for the Prime Minister’s review. The Centre has been particularly focused on ensuring that this Rs 39,000 crore Greenfield Corridor, which spans 669 kilometers and connects Delhi with Katra near Jammu, remains on track despite the challenges. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had earlier issued a stern warning to the Punjab government, citing incidents of violence against NHAI officials and stressing that further delays could jeopardize the entire project. The Minister’s concerns were echoed in Verma’s letter, which highlighted the need for a concerted effort to secure the land required for the project.