NHAI issues notices to highway squatters in J&K's Samba district

Jammu: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued notices asking people encroaching its roads in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district to move out within seven days.

Taking serious note of the increasing encroachments, the NHAI has issued notices to various parties under the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002, an official spokesman said.

These encroachments have been the cause of frequent accidents on the national highways, he said.

The NHAI has asked the defaulters to remove such unauthorised occupations within seven days of receiving the notice. 

They may submit representation, if any, within the same period to the Project Director NHAI (Channi Himmat) with a copy to the Assistant Commissioner Revenue (Collector Land Acquisition ), Samba, he said.

NHAI authorities said failure to comply will lead to imposition of penalty and eviction from highway land.

The district administration has also urged the parties to cooperate with NHAI and allow hassle free and safe movement on the highway.

The notice said, the highway administration shall cause such unauthorised occupation to be removed at the expenses of the central or state government, as may be the case.

Penalty would be imposed at Rs 500 per square metre of the illegally occupied land and where the penalty is less than the cost of such land, the penalty may be extended to equal such cost, it said.