Demands withdrawal of Supreme Court case and implementation of Factor-2 to ensure fair compensation for landowners
Munish sood
Mandi
The controversy over compensation to landowners affected by four-lane projects in Himachal Pradesh has intensified, with retired Brigadier Khushal Thakur challenging the statement made by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in the state Assembly and alleging that the government may have been presented with incorrect facts and figures by officials.
Reacting to the Chief Minister’s remarks on land acquisition and compensation for four-lane projects, Thakur termed the statement “factually incorrect and misleading” and said the actual position needed to be examined on the basis of official records and the applicable policies.
Thakur particularly questioned the reference to a 16-kilometre stretch of the Shimla-Mataur four-lane project. He said the stretch mentioned by the Chief Minister was apparently connected with the Hamirpur bypass and the area towards Nadaun, and argued that the issue needed to be placed in its proper policy and financial context.
According to Thakur, the approved NHAI alignment can be modified in the larger interest of the state under the Urban Decongestion Policy. In such cases, he said, the policy provides for 50:50 financial participation by the Centre and the state government.
‘Centre will continue to bear compensation cost’
Thakur also rejected the impression that Himachal Pradesh would have to shoulder the entire burden of land acquisition compensation for all ongoing four-lane projects in the state.
He maintained that the compensation component would continue to be funded by the Centre as per the existing framework and said there was a need to distinguish between specific alignment-related financial arrangements and the overall compensation liability for four-lane projects.
Factor-2 remains at the centre of dispute
The retired Brigadier also stepped up his demand for implementation of Factor-2 compensation in rural areas, arguing that landowners affected by four-lane projects have been waiting for years for what they consider fair compensation.
Thakur said the Centre had repeatedly indicated that Factor-2 could be implemented for rural areas of Himachal Pradesh. He further claimed that the Factor-1 mechanism implemented in the state in 2015 was struck down by the Himachal Pradesh High Court in April 2025.
Despite this, he alleged, the state government chose to challenge the matter before the Supreme Court instead of moving towards implementation of Factor-2.
‘Withdraw Supreme Court case, give affected families relief’
With many four-lane affected landowners still pursuing their compensation claims before courts and arbitration forums, Thakur urged the Chief Minister to reconsider the government’s position.
He called for withdrawal of the case pending before the Supreme Court and implementation of Factor-2 for eligible rural landowners.
Thakur said the issue should not be viewed merely as a dispute over policy or procedure, but as a matter directly affecting families whose land has been acquired for major infrastructure projects.
He appealed to the Chief Minister to seek a fresh examination of the facts and figures placed before the government and take a decision that ensures fair and adequate compensation to four-lane project-affected families.
