Kerala will soon give ₹330 crore to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as the first tranche of the 25% cost of the remaining land to be acquired for six-laning of 526 km of National Highway 66.
A demand notice from the NHAI asking for the State’s share has reached the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) tasked by the government to make available ₹5,200 crore, 25% cost of the remaining land to be acquired in the State.
Demand notice
“We have acted on the demand notice received from the NHAI and ₹330 crore will be released to the NHAI once the Finance Department gives the nod,” official sources told The Hindu .
The funds will be made available from the ₹14,000 crore earmarked by KIIFB for land acquisition for development projects funded by it and ₹5,200 crore is the 25% share for the 1,176 hectares to be acquired at ₹21,000 crore.
To win over the displaced and expedite land acquisition from Thalapady on the Kerala-Karnataka border in Kasaragod to Kazhakuttam in the capital district, the government has decided to transfer the compensation for the land being acquired directly to bank accounts of landowners.
Minister’s nod
“The proposal mooted by KIIFB has received the approval of the Finance Minister. This will avoid delay and visit to the treasury to get the money released,” the sources added. The request from the NHAI has come within one month after the State and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways inked the agreement on the willingness to contribute 25% cost of remaining land to be acquired for widening the NH.
The 526-km north-south road corridor to be developed by the NHAI will have six-lane with a right-of-way of 45 m. The NHAI has already split the 526-km corridor into 13 packages for expediting the works.
