Land acquisition, compensation issues delaying Sikta Project

By Siraj Khan Nepalgunj, June 26: Only 70 per cent works of Sikta Irrigation Project, a national pride project believed to be a revolution in agriculture sector of Banke, have been completed after 18 years of construction. Officials informed that the delay was the result of issues related to land acquisition and compensation.

“Several public are in dispute regarding land acquisition and insufficient compensation. The issues have led public to obstruct the work on the project several times and it has barred us from completing the project soon,” said Santosh Kaini, director of the project.

According to Kaini, the project was expected to be completed within 10 years. “Since the project runs through national park and community forests, we needed to follow different procedures which also delayed the work,” said Kaini.

In several places, contractors even left the work in limbo due to different disputes.

“Even now, there is a dispute with locals regarding compensation. It has obstructed the work at the eastern canal in Narainapur. The local levels are coordinating talks with the agitators to solve the issue and resume construction,” Kaini said.

The locals have obstructed the construction of the 44 km-53 km sector of the eastern canal.

Recently, Kaini and his team had discussed the issues with Narainapur Rural Municipality’s chairman Istiyak Ahmad and ward chairpersons.

Under the project, western canal will help agricultural production in 33,766 hectares of land while the eastern canal will support 9,000 hectares of land in Narainapur.

In fiscal year 2021/22, a budget of Rs. 1,375,700,000 was allocated for the project. “We have spent Rs. 762,000,000. Around Rs. 200 million will be spent before the current fiscal year concludes,” said Kaini.

The government has allocated Rs. 1.88 billion for the project in the upcoming fiscal year 2022/23.