Swat Motorway: People demand compensation for lands

PESHAWAR: The residents and landowners in different towns and villages in Mardan district have complained that the government did not pay them compensation for their lands and properties being used for Swat Motorway. In a statement, the residents and landowners said that their agricultural land was acquired for the construction of Swat Motorway and they were promised compensation as per the market value.

They said none of them had received compensation for their land despite the passage of one year. According to the landowners, the provincial government should have paid the compensation amount to the people on priority basis as they had no means of earing livelihood after losing their precious agricultural lands to the project.

The Swat Motorway is considered a signature project of the KP government.

The construction work on the four-lane (extendable to six lanes) was launched on August 25, last year with an estimated cost of Rs40 billion. The government allocated Rs5.8 billion of Rs40 billion project for land acquisition.

Though work on the project is taking place with an impressive pace, the landowners are yet to be compensated for their lands acquired for the project. Most of the affected residents in Bakhshali, Katlang, Matta, Shamozai, Babuzai, Narsak, Cham Dheri in Mardan district, Dhobian and Ismaila in Swabi district, Palai, Bazdarra and Alladhand in Malakand Agency have said that they had not received payment for their lands from the government so far.