The proposed four-laning of the Vazhayila-Nedumangad stretch, part of the Thiruvananthapuram-Tenkasi interstate highway, is likely to run into rough weather with a section of landowners along the Vazhayila-Pazhakutty stretch putting up a banner of revolt against the land acquisition by the authorities.
An action council has been formed by the land owners along the stretch of Vazhayila-Keltron Junction - the first reach of the stretch, demanding fair compensation for their properties and buildings.
According to the action council office-bearers, only four property owners have given their consent for the acquisition of their properties out of the total of 56 people who were served notice by the revenue authorities.
The land owners also met Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil raising their grievances and demanding a fair deal in the land acquisition.
The properties were listed into three categories along the stretch. Those which are adjacent to the road fall in ‘A’ category, while the land and properties behind the ‘A’ category were listed as ‘B’ and ‘C’ categories, respectively.
Though the compensation for the owners has to be given as per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR), the authorities fixed an average price for their property considering the last few transactions based on the ‘C’ category. For instance, a sum of ₹4.7 lakhs is fixed for a cent in the ‘A’ category, while the market value of the properties in the ‘A’ category reach is now billed as around ₹20 lakhs, say action council office-bearers.
Since the project was on the anvil for the last seven years, no major land deal was executed in the ‘A’ category reach during this period as the properties in the reach face the prospects of eviction by revenue authorities during the time of construction. The revenue authorities are now trying to acquire the land and other belongings at less than one-fourth of the current market price pointing out the transaction prices registered seven years ago and the recent prices of land and buildings in the ‘B’ and ‘C’ categories. This cannot be accepted by the land owners here as no one would get a fair piece of land at this rate in neighbouring areas, they alleged.
“Further, a fair price has to be given to the building owners towards the value of the building without making any depreciation from the estimated value of the buildings. Whether it is five, ten or twenty years old, the owner will have to spend a fixed amount on the new building when he moves out of the area. The representation was given to the minister demanding to address all these issues and we hope there will be a favourable decision before the next hearing,” they said. The project received a momentum recently when the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) allotted a fund of ₹117 crore for the project.
