District administration has cleared the notice for acquisition for development of northern half of Jaipur Ring Road. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is expected to commence the acquisition process soon after the release of the final notice. “The acquisition process is on progress and the physical acquisition will commence,” says an official at the highway authority.
Northern Ring Road will connect Ajmer road to Delhi and Agra road, it will be developed by the highway authority that is presently developing the southern corridor connecting Agra road-Tonk road-Ajmer road. Unlike the southern corridor of the Ring Road for which land was acquired by Jaipur Development Authority, the NHAI will also have to acquire land for the northern corridor.
The process is expected to raise protest from hundreds of those who have their properties acquired. Initially, a 97-kilometer long northern corridor was proposed, however, it stands reduced to 50-kilometer length as state government recommended that the present bypass between Ajmer road and Delhi road be used as part of the Ring Road circuit, this reduces the northern corridor between Agra road and Delhi road. Proposed to be 60-meter wide, the northern corridor is also expected to be narrower than the southern half.
The alignment of the Ring Road is almost finalized and the authorities do not seek to further delay the process. The interest expressed by Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari for the project is also being considered another reason motivating the highway authority. It was on recommendations of the minister that NHAI has accepted the proposal for Jaipur Ring Road. It is now being expressed that the Union minister might also lay the foundation stone of northern Ring Road while he arrives for the inauguration ceremony of the Southern Ring Road.
The project was held as a flagship scheme by the former BJP government at Rajasthan. It has though failed to complete in tenure of the state government, the BJP government at centre might like to see it advance before parliamentary elections.
Protests Likely
The process is expected to raise protest from hundreds of those who have their properties acquired. Initially, a 97-kilometer long northern corridor was proposed, however, it stands reduced to 50-kilometer length as state government recommended that the present bypass between Ajmer road and Delhi road be used as part of the Ring Road circuit, this reduces the northern corridor between Agra road and Delhi road.
