With half a dozen mega businesses playing spoilsport with Kochi Metro’s land acquisition process, Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is banking on a Government Order (G.O.) issued in March to acquire seven more acres of land needed for the project.
August deadline“We have set August as the deadline to complete land acquisition and intend to take over the requisite land after paying 80 per cent of the prevailing compensation amount. As per the G.O., any difference in compensation arrived at on the basis of State rules that are expected shortly (on the basis of Centre’s new Land Acquisition Act – the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013) will be paid to land owners at a later stage,” said Managing Director of KMRL, Elias George.
Mr. George had recently cited how owners of small and medium-sized plots willingly handed over 33 acres of land for the metro, while owners of a few big businesses in the Kalamassery-MG Road stretch were either opposing land acquisition or demanding prohibitive amounts as compensation. He spoke of how compulsory land acquisition would be opted for in case there was further opposition from land owners.
KMRL intends to speed up the much-delayed land acquisition process since DMRC’s civil works are progressing at a steady pace in most parts of the Aluva-Pettah metro corridor and land acquisition is vital for further work on the viaduct and stations. The KMRL has now sought recourse to the G.O. because of State government’s delay in framing rules based on Centre’s new LA Act.
Land acquisition at a few places has been hit because of reasons such as delay in passing metro’s relief and rehabilitation (R and R) policy and not preparing the basis value record. There are also instances of land documents missing, pledged with banks and disputes over property.
In the meantime, KMRL’s Director Board meeting scheduled for August is expected to give the nod for the agency’s R and R policy. While KMRL has funds to compensate land owners in the Aluva-Vyttila stretch, State government will have to source funds to compensate land owners for widening Vyttila-Pettah Road.
