: Land acquisition for the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Pudussery, Palakkad, would be completed by mid-February, said District Collector P. Marikutty.
Talking to The Hindu here on Thursday, she said an assurance in this regard had been given to the Union Ministry of Human Resources. The IIT would come up on 500 acres in Pudussery West. The district administration will acquire 366.39 acres from private owners. The remaining land is under the State government.
The government will hand over the land to the ministry, which will initiate construction activities with an initial outlay of Rs.1,000 crore.
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“I had represented the State at a high-level review meet in New Delhi recently. Union government officials who attended the meeting appreciated the way the acquisition drive was progressing. There would be no delay in handing over the land,” said the Collector.
As per the earlier plan, the State was entitled to hand over the land located close to the Kanjikode industrial belt to the Union Ministry by December 31, 2015.
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At present, the IIT is functioning from its temporary campus at the Ahalya Group of Institutions in Kozhipara, near Walayar.
Ídeal site
The Collector said the proposed site was ideal for setting up the IIT keeping in view its strategic location in the middle of the State and its proximity to Tamil Nadu’s second largest city, Coimbatore.
Palakkad and Shoranur junctions would ensure sufficient rail connectivity. The area could be easily accessed by road from Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kochi.