Kushtia drainage system work stalled for years

Construction of modern drainage and sewerage system in Kushtia municipality has remained stalled for years due to dispute over land acquisition and fixing of the land values.

The municipality authorities asked the district administration for acquisition of about 3.22 acres of fallow land at Chourhas, Mollahteghoria and Kalishankarpur on February 7 in 2011 to build two modern water treatment plants and seven master drains. They also requested for reconstruction of seven existing drains.

Accordingly, the district administration asked its Land Acquisition (LA) section to assess the land. The LA section classified the land as paddy field and fixed its value at Tk 2.56 crore.

One Amirul Islam lodged a case against the land acquisition with the High Court. A High Court division bench pronounced the acquisition valid. The complainant then appealed to the Supreme Court and the apex court upheld the High Court verdict. 

Amirul claimed that the value of the land would have to be fixed as for wetland, but it was fixed for paddy field. The district administration found two documents that proved the land was wetland, he added.

LA section said value of any land would be fixed on the basis of nearby lands as per the land acquisition law.

Later, the LA section fixed the land's value at Tk 4.56 crore and a report was submitted to the deputy commissioner (DC) on February 2 in 2015 in this regard. Then, the DC asked the municipality authorities on March 3 the same year to pay the money for completing the acquisition process.

The municipality paid Tk 2.90 crore but declined to pay the rest, saying that the rate fixed earlier was correct.     

After visiting the spot, the Khulna divisional commissioner asked for classification of the land as wetland and said the rate of Tk 4.56 crore is correct.

“A vested quarter wants to exploit the project for its own interest,” said municipality Mayor Anwar Ali, adding that the process of rate fixing of the land was dubious as the district administration fixed two rates, which has caused confusion.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the delay in land acquisition, DC Zahir Raihan said he would take steps to solve the problem after further direction from the High Court.