Kerala government has set aside Rs 1,777 crore as compensation for landowners along the Edappally-Kuttippuram stretch of the national highway in Kochi, a significant step forward in the project.
Officials from the Department of Revenue have devised a plan to complete land acquisition along the stretch in three months and hand it over to the National Highway Authority of India.
The fund will be used to purchase 205 acres of land to widen a 63.5 km stretch of the national highway between Kadikkad in Chavakkad taluk and Methala in Kodungallur taluk. At a function in Methala, Revenue Minister K Rajan will inaugurate the payment of compensation to landowners.
The total amount reserved for compensation for landowners along the national highway between Edappally and Kuttippuram is Rs 5,400 crore.
The land acquisition process, which began in 2009, had not made much progress until recently. In the same year, a notice to acquire land was issued.
After 2018, the state government accelerated the land acquisition process. The acquisition was carried out in accordance with the 2013 Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act.
Landowners are being served notices by revenue officials, requesting that they vacate their properties within 60 days.
The compensation will be paid to landowners after they submit various documents of their holdings.
The funds for holdings whose ownership is in dispute will be deposited with the court. The land acquisition process along the national highway between Moothakunnam and Edappally is also a work in progress.
The road is about 10 metres (m) wide along this stretch. The government purchased the land needed to widen the road to 30 m, over three decades back. However, NHAI was unable to widen the road.
Work to widen it to 45 m is currently underway. Foundation stones have been laid in areas where survey work has been completed.
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