Overview
- The central government, which named 57 arbitrators Saturday, targeted a backlog of more than 28,000 compensation claims tied to National Highways Authority of India projects.
- The appointees are senior state officers serving as Additional Commissioners or Additional District Collectors working across the Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati and Nagpur divisions.
- District Collectors were told to meet NHAI project directors and land acquisition officers at once to assign pending cases to the new arbitrators.
- All claims arising from the same award will go to one officer to keep rulings consistent, with Divisional Commissioners set to review progress each month.
- NHAI will fund support staff and office costs so hearings can run without logistical delays, which could speed payments to farmers and help projects move faster.