Central Government Acquires Land for National Highway 8 Expansion in Karimganj District of Assam

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has officially notified the acquisition of land in the Karimganj district of Assam for the development of National Highway 8. Issued under the powers conferred by the National Highways Act, 1956, the notification marks the final stage of the land acquisition process for a specific stretch of the highway. This administrative action follows a preliminary notification issued in April 2025, which outlined the government's intention to take over various land parcels for the purpose of widening, four-laning, maintaining, and managing the highway infrastructure. The acquisition specifically targets the stretch of land from kilometer 87.700 to kilometer 106.500, encompassing the Settlement Road area within Karimganj Town.

The statutory procedure for this acquisition was initiated under Section 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956, through a notification published in the Gazette of India on April 2, 2025. Following the initial declaration, the substance of the proposal was disseminated through local newspapers, namely the Eastern Chronicle and Dainik Nababarta Prasanga, in May 2025 to ensure public awareness. This allowed affected parties to file objections under Section 3C of the Act, which provides a mechanism for persons interested in the land to challenge the acquisition on specific grounds. The competent authority subsequently received, considered, and settled these objections before submitting a final report to the Central Government. With the submission of this report, the government exercised its authority under Section 3D to formally declare the acquisition.

The legislation provided: “the Central Government hereby declares that on publication of this notification in the Official Gazette, the land specified in the said Schedule shall vest absolutely in the Central Government, free from all encumbrances.”

This declaration ensures that the legal title of the specified land is transferred to the Union, removing any prior claims or legal burdens (encumbrances) that might hinder the construction and management of the national highway. The total area of land acquired under this notification amounts to 4.7318 hectares. The affected regions include several villages and tea estates within the Patharkandi taluk, such as Baithakhal T.E., Dhengarbond, Chandkhira Grant Part II, and Hatikhira Grant Part II. The schedule of the notification details a mix of government-owned and private lands, including agricultural plots and non-agricultural patches.

The policy rationale behind this move is the necessity to upgrade the existing road network to facilitate smoother transport and regional connectivity. By invoking the National Highways Act, the government utilizes a streamlined statutory framework designed to expedite infrastructure projects of national importance while addressing the rights of landholders through a formal objection and compensation mechanism. The transition from a mere intention to acquire to an absolute vesting of land signifies the completion of the primary legal requirements for the NH8 expansion project in this sector. The notification came into force immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette on October 17, 2025.

Keywords: National Highways Act 1956, Land Acquisition Assam, NH8 Widening, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Karimganj Land Acquisition, Section 3D Notification, Infrastructure Development India

Geo Tags: India, Assam
District: Karimganj