Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the central government for attributing delays in National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects in the state to law and order issues. Responding to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s warning that highway projects in Punjab could be terminated if the situation did not improve, Mann alleged that the real problem was the “inadequate” compensation farmers were getting for land acquisition. Mann pointed out that the delays were due to disputes over land acquisition rates between farmers and the NHAI, rather than law and order concerns. He questioned why the Centre was focusing on law and order, saying, “In every issue, they say law and order,” and pointed out that there had been no curfew in Punjab for the past two-and-a-half years. However, he pointed out that Nuh district in Haryana had been under curfew for four months and suggested that the Centre should instead focus on law and order in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. In a letter to Gadkari, Mann reiterated that land prices in Punjab are higher than in other states like Odisha due to the fertility of the land and that farmers are not willing to sell at low prices. He claimed that there was no law and order problem but rather a need for fair compensation for farmers. Gadkari’s letter cited two recent incidents on the Delhi-Katra Expressway projects where engineers were attacked and threatened, attributing these incidents to the broader law and order situation in Punjab. He also noted that due to unresolved land acquisition issues and the current situation, several contractors had sought termination of contracts and filed claims against the NHAI. In response to a separate question about Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s recent meeting with administrative secretaries, Mann played down its significance and described it as a preliminary meeting. Kataria, who also serves as the Chandigarh administrator, had reviewed the central development projects and welfare schemes during the meeting and expressed his intention to act as a bridge between the Centre and the Punjab government for the development of the state. (ET)