The fresh 3A notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to acquire land for development of National Highway 17 passing through the district is expected to accelerate the earlier land acquisition formalities stalled by local protests against alignments. The work is part of the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) project for road widening and bypass construction.
The mandatory notification dated January 4 under Section 3A of the National Highway Act, 1956, for the land to be acquired for the NH development on the 44-km stretch from Karivellur to Pappinissery in the Cheruvathur-Kannur section replaces the earlier notification that lapsed following protests from local residents over the alignment.
In 2013, survey works for acquisition had started and final notification issued with regard to 52 hectares of land. Revenue officials said that payment of compensation fixed through negotiation by the district-level purchase committee (DLPC) and approved by the State-level empowered committee (SLEC) was already under way.
Earlier notification
The latest 3A notification is for the acquisition of remaining 86 hectares of land to be acquired. The notification followed change of alignments in some areas due to local protests. “While the earlier notification was based on alignments that passed through built-up areas, especially at Taliparamba, the latest notification avoided all built-up areas,” an official said.
The only major hassle that the new notification is likely to face is the protest from people of Keezhattur who are on the warpath against the alignment of Taliparamba bypass that they said will destroy the paddy fields.
Taliparamba bypass is one of the two bypasses proposed on the stretch, the other being Payyannur bypass.
Objections can be filed
As per the mandatory 3A notification, people can file objections, if any, within 21 days of its publication in newspapers. If everything goes well, all formalities including total survey of land for 3D notification should be completed within a year.
Otherwise, the 3A notification becomes invalid. The land to be acquired as per the latest 3A notification are in villages of Kunhimangalam, Cheruthazham, Kadannappally, Kalliassery, Pappinissery, Karivellur, Vellur, Korome, Pariyaram, Taliparamba and Morazha.