Lack of sufficient documentary evidence for property is delaying payment of compensation for land acquisition for most road and bridge projects in and around the city.
Sources in the Highways Department say that many property owners do not have the requisite documents including PAN cards, original property deeds and voter ID cards.
For instance, in Irumbuliyur, Tambaram, where the State government has already deposited Rs. 35.73 crore towards land acquisition, only a handful of residents have proper documents.
A total of 6,555 sq m of land is required for widening the Grand Southern Trunk Road. The settlement process is expected to be completed by March-end if the required documents are submitted, said a source in the Highways Department.
“Establishment of ownership is a problem in many cases, especially in the city, as the settlement among families would be merely verbal. Families would not go in for registration. Of a 100 plots, only 20 may have clear documents. Even they would not have all the documents in hand and will have to search quite a bit,” explained an official.
Among the ten documents sought are PAN card, legal heir certificate, death certificate, original patta, family card and voter ID card.
Income tax deductionPAN card is necessary as the Revenue Department deducts the income tax before disbursal.
“Many people do not have PAN cards. They apply only after the Revenue Department asks for the documents. In many cases, owners seek time to produce documents and at times, are unable to produce them. In such a situation, the compensation amount is kept under the custody of the courts and the land taken over. The owner can claim the compensation after presenting the documents,” explained a former official of the Revenue Department.
