Dhading, August 26 Thousands of families in Tripurasundari Rural Municipality of Dhading district have been hit hard due to delay in fixing the amount of compensation for land affected by the Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project. Though the project distributed compensation amount for lands in a number of places in Dhading and Gorkha, compensation in Arughat and Khahare bazaar area is yet to be provided. “While on the one hand there has been inordinate delay in fixing and providing compensation amount, on the other hand we can’t sell our land,” said Gopal Gurung, a local of Arughat. According to Kamal Narayan Shrestha, an entrepreneur based in Arughat, they have approached the authorities concerned and political leaders, but to no avail. “In order to get the compensation amount fixed, we met many persons, from chief district officer to our representatives and the minister concerned, but to no avail,” he said. Bil Narayan Shrestha, a local trader, bemoaned that they could neither mortgage their property nor sell it. “As we can’t mortgage or sell our land, it’s really difficult. We’ll have to start all over again if we move from here. So we need reasonable amount for compensation,” he argued. Around 11,000 households haven’t been compensated in Arughat and Khahare. “A large number of people who haven’t got compensation amount are living in dilemma. There should be an agreement between the locals and the project so that the issue is resolved paving the way for the project to progress,” said Tripurasundari Rural Municipality Chairperson Shambhu Thapa. Though the project is ready to provide Rs 800,000 per ropani land along the main road in densely populated area, the locals in the bazaar area have been demanding at least Rs 2,500,000 per ropani.