The much-delayed work on widening the Thammanam-Pullepady Road and the Kunnara Park-Pettah Road got a shot in the arm on Tuesday, with the State-Level Empowered Committee (SLEC) upholding the compensation rates fixed by the District-Level Fair Compensation, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee (DLFC).
A Revenue official associated with the process said the SLEC had accorded in principle clearance for restarting the land acquisition process, as per the new Land Acquisition Act. “We are awaiting a Government Order in two weeks’ time, following which documents of owners who surrender land will be verified and the compensation amount paid depending on the location of land.”
A total of 64.5 ares of land will be acquired shortly (on the Stadium Link Road Junction-Kathrikadavu stretch) as part of the Thammanam-Pullepady Road widening. The compensation rate fixed is in the range of ₹31.25 lakh to ₹37.50 lakh per are. Forty of the total 65 land owners have agreed to surrender land.
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Metro works
Kochi Metro’s piling and civil works can begin on Kunnara Park-Pettah Road by May since the SLEC on Tuesday approved compensation rates in the approximate range of ₹55.64 lakh to ₹67.60 lakh per are. “Thirty-five of the 70 persons whose land has to be acquired have already given letters of consent and the compensation amount will be handed over in a month. With there being clarity on the amount, we hope that the rest of the owners too will surrender their land. Around 3.50 acres of land is required for widening the corridor into four lane,” said another official in charge of land acquisition.
A total of 105 ares of land has to be acquired to widen the road. The State government is yet to commit itself to widening the Vyttila-Kunnara Park Road, despite demands by different organisations, residents’ associations and trade bodies.
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Similarly, the SLEC approved ₹98.84 lakh as compensation per are of land to acquire five plots of land totalling 1.02 ares to widen bottlenecked parts of Deshabhimani Junction-Kaloor Road, in tandem with metro works. Another 0.46 ares of land will be acquired for metro’s Elamkulam station from an owner who has not yet given consent. Its value has been put at ₹74.13 lakh per are.
The committee also approved acquisition of 31.32 ares of land for building an approach road to the Wellingdon Island-Edakochi bridge. Consent of two land owners is awaited. Their value has been fixed at ₹5.90 lakh to ₹14.84 lakh per are.