The acquisition of land for Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road project has hit a roadblock again, following opposition from local landholders who say that partial acquisition of their property in the project area will cause heavy loss. The protesters, who secured a stay from the Kerala High Court, argue that without addressing the concerns, they will have to permanently abandon the small patches of land left outside the surveyed property for acquisition.
According to the landowners’ collective, no farming ventures or business will be possible in the remaining patches of land. They want the government to completely acquire the property in the project area and consider a revised compensation package.
“The plan of the government is to secure the surveyed land and clear the compensation claims. What we seek is the acquisition of the remaining land alongside the surveyed property, as we will not be able to use it for any productive purpose or sale in the future. Compensation can be revised on the basis of the total area,” says an elderly woman who owns around 20 cents of land in Anakkampoyil village. According to her, nobody is against the realisation of the project after addressing the demands.
It was in January that Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) floated tenders for the ₹1,643-crore project with an aim to make it a reality in four years. The acquisition of about 11 hectares of land from private holders in the district was to be completed to begin with the civil works. There were 60 landholders who were eligible for a total compensation of ₹40 crore.
According to officials, the government had already distributed ₹30.4 crore as compensation to 43 landholders. The remaining amount of around ₹7 crore would be distributed soon to complete the acquisition of the surveyed land, they said. The Revenue department sources associated with the land acquisition activities said the stay of the High Court would not impede the ongoing project works for which the land owners had already received a major share of compensation. They also said talks would be initiated to settle the disputes in the High court.
It was on October 16, 2020 that the blueprint of the 8.17-km twin tunnel, claimed to be the third such longest underpass in the country, was unveiled by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. KRCL was roped in considering its expertise in executing similar projects successfully. To speed up the execution, Mr. Vijayan also included it in the list of 30 special projects directly monitored by him in the State.
