Compensation to 14 families who have handed over land on the Karamana-Pappanamcode stretch for the development of the National Highway-47 stretch into a 30.2-metre four-lane carriageway will be handed over on Thursday.
The remaining 218 families who have surrendered land for NH-47 development will be given compensation once the formalities are completed. The much delayed compensation will be handed over by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The four-laning of the Karamana-Pappanamcode stretch will be taken up in the first phase of the development of the Karamana-Vazhimukku stretch of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila section. The four-laning project had been dragging on for several years. Of the Rs.400 crore set apart for infrastructure development in the State during the 2013-14, Rs.100 crore has been earmarked for the road work. Also Rs.7.70 crore has been provided in the Plan fund. Minister for Health V.S. Sivakumar said the work would be completed in a time-bound manner.
Meanwhile, the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila National Highway Development Action Council has urged the government to immediately provide compensation to all those who have surrendered the land. Council general secretary S.K. Jayakumar said that Rs.265 crore was needed for paying compensation to those who had surrendered land till Pravachambalam and another Rs.35 crore for rehabilitation. But only Rs.100 crore had been allocated.
The council urged the government to provide the remaining Rs.200 crore for expediting the project.
The council that met under the chairmanship of president A.S. Mohankumar urged the government to issue the 4(1) notification for acquiring land on the Pravachambalam-Vazhimukku stretch.