Itanagar, Mar 2 (PTI): Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday assured the state assembly that the state government will urge the Ministry of Railways to fast-track construction of broad gauge project from Murkonseleg in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh, which has been halted due to land compensation issues.
The state government is serious about the project and would sit with officials of the ministry soon to resolve the matter at the earliest, the chief minister informed the House.
Responding to a short duration discussion initiated by Congress legislator Ninong Ering, Khandu said that an amount of Rs 73 crore was paid as compensation to the affected land owners for the first phase of the project covering a distance of seven kilometers.
The high rate of compensation was due to wrong interpretation by district officials for which the state government had ordered an inquiry by the Special Investigating Cell (SIC) of the police, the chief minister said.
"The ministry had raised objection to the high rate of compensation and has…