Patna, March 15: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today met Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi and sought clarification on payment of compensation for acquired land at four times the market or circle rate.

This was for cases where farmers or owners have not been compensated in accordance with the Centre's new Land Acquisition Act.

Nitish also requested the Union minister to invite tenders for reconstruction of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu. He submitted a letter to him pointing out that lack of clarity on compensation rates has marred several important road projects like Patna-Buxar-Forbesganj-Jogbani, Patna-Dobhi, Biharsharif-Mokama, Varanasi-Aurangabad and Chhapra-Muzaffarpur highways.

"These projects of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) were awarded during 2010-12 and some of them have been re-awarded after termination of old agreements. But work has not started or is held up... due to non-availability of land," Nitish wrote. "...Majority of the farmers have not been paid compensation till date. They are demanding compensation at four times the market or circle rate as on January 1, 2014, in accordance with the provisions contained in the New Land Acquisition Act," he added.

Nitish pointed out that since the state government was already paying compensation in accordance with the Union rural development ministry's circular, the farmers will not accept compensation at lower rates for NH projects.

He requested Gadkari to ensure that the ministry pays compensation in accordance with the rural development ministry's circular and "an early clarification in the matter will expedite completion of held-up projects."

Nitish was in Delhi to attend the wedding reception of Union minister of chemicals and fertilisers Ananth Kumar's daughter Aishwarya.

He also took up the matter of total rehabilitation of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu. "I have been informed that the proposal... has been accorded approval on March 11 at an estimated cost of Rs 1,765 crore. Its reconstruction is pending for the last five years. It is requested that necessary approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) may kindly be obtained at the earliest."

He added that pending CCEA approval, tenders for reconstruction of the Setu "may kindly be invited as has been the practice" in the Union ministry for all such critically important projects.

Nitish will return from New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.