Farmers of Madhampatti and Theethipalayam here have sought higher compensation for land identified for the western ring road project.
A Highways Department source told The Hindu that for the first phase (11.8 km) of the 32.4 km four-lane road that will be developed at a total cost of ₹ 680 crore, 118 acres will be acquired. Over 80 acres have been acquired and of the remaining land, nearly 24 acres are in Madhampatti and Theethipalayam. Owners of 60 survey numbers in these two places have sought higher compensation for the land and have not agreed to the rates fixed.
Vivasaigal Sangham State president P. Kandhaswamy in a memorandum to the District Collector said that the rates fixed by the previous government to acquire land was not uniform and varied for different survey numbers. For instance, while for one survey number, it fixed the rate at ₹3,346 per sq. mt, in the same village it fixed ₹ 495 per sq.metre for another. The present government, which gave ₹1,388 a sq.mt earlier this month, has now fixed the rate at ₹ 403.95.
The market rate is nearly ₹5,000 per sq.mt and ₹403 is very low. Further, farmers in these villages are getting different prices for their land that will be acquired for the project. The government should have uniform rates for the same category of lands and it should be based on the current market rates for the benefit of the farmers, he said.
