Knowledge Park: oustees plan dharna for compensation

Land losers have been paid only 50% of amount even after 12 yrs

The people who have lost land for the Kinfra Knowledge Park in Ramanattukara are planning a dharna on January 21 in protest against the negligence of the State government in providing them the due compensation for the acquired land.

K.Koyamutti Haji, president of the Ramanattukara Kinfra Knowledge Park Land Losers’ Action Committee, told reporters here on Wednesday that the 140 land owners had not received a large chunk of the compensation since the government took over the land 12 years ago. The government had even neglected the Kerala High Court order in 2018 that had asked it to pay the complete compensation to the land owners.

Ever since the acquisition of around 80 acres of land in 2008, it has been a long legal battle between the land owners and the government for the compensation settlement. The government had paid only 10% of the price in 2010.

The land owners then approached the Kozhikode principal sessions court for just compensation. The court ordered a compensation in 2013, but the government failed to remit it in court and hence, the land owners had to approach court again.

Meanwhile, the government went on an appeal in the High Court. But the appeal could be accepted only if half of the compensation ordered by the sessions court was remitted. Hence, the land owners got half their compensation.

Later, the government, Kinfra and the landowners came to a settlement. The High Court passed a compromise decree in 2018 according to which the government had to pay the land owners completely by November 2018. But the government did not follow the orders and instead approached the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, a six-storey building has come up in then acquired land and the Knowledge Park is nearing inauguration.

“We are not in a financial position to go on further legal battle with the government. Hence, protest is our only way out,” said Mr. Haji. Eight of the land owners have expired in the meantime while the remaining are mostly senior citizens.

“The government has cheated us many times. Now, it is challenging us to battle it out in the Supreme Court, which is pure arrogance. Hence, we are going to protest,” he said, adding that the landowners would not allow the Knowledge Park to function without getting their full compensation.