The Revenue Department will hold public hearings to redress the grievances of the residents of Karthikappally taluk regarding the proposed acquisition of land for widening the Thuravoor-Oachira stretch of National Highway (NH) 66.
The hearings will held from May 21 at Special Tahsildar office, Haripad.
According to the officials, the department has received some 2,000 objections from residents in the district.
“We are conducting public hearings to address the apprehensions raised by residents regarding the acquisition of land for NH widening. We have already completed hearings under the Cherthala LA unit and the process is nearing completion in Alappuzha LA unit, with final three hearings to be held on May 14, 15 and 16. The hearings will be organised at Haripad LA unit from May 21,” said an official.
The official added that most of the objections they received were regarding compensation. “We are trying our best to convince the people. Besides, apprehensions over compensation, the department also received complaints regarding proposed alignment of the road. From our part, we have submitted a report to the higher authorities and it is up for the State government and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take a final decision on whether or not to make changes to the alignment,” said an official.
Alignment stones
The officials further said the procedures for land acquisition had commenced and alignment stones would be laid soon. Earlier, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued a notification, which set in motion the process of land acquisition.
As per the mandatory notification (dated February 15, under Section 3A of the National Highway Act, 1956), 126.6 hectares of government and private land would be acquired for the NH development in the district.
The plan is to widen the 81.6-km stretch of the NH into four lanes of 45 metres. A special unit under the Revenue Department has been entrusted with the land acquisition process.
The officials said all procedures related to acquiring land should be completed within a year for issuing 3D notification (declaration of acquisition).
Notification invalid
Otherwise, the 3A notification would become invalid.
The land to be acquired as per the 3A notification is in the villages of Thuravoor South, Pattanakkad, Kadakkarappally, Vayalar East, Cherthala North, Cherthala South, Kokkothamangalam, Thanneermukkom North, Mararikulam North, Kanjikuzhi, Kalavoor, Pathirappally, Mannancherry, Komalapuram, Aryad South, Paravoor, Punnapra, Ambalappuzha, Purakkad, Thrikkunnapuzha, Karuvatta, Kumarapuram, Haripad, Karthikapally, Pallipad, Chingoli, Cheppad, Pathiyoor, Keerikkad, Kayamkulam, and Krishnapuram.
