After land acquisition, NHAI comes up with new freeway alignment in Kasaragod

Express News Service

KASARAGOD: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has apparently botched up the land acquisition — and fee of compensation — for the widening of NH 66 in Kasaragod, and residents are having a panic assault.

After round 10 years of notifying and renotifying of land required for the freeway and paying compensation, the NHAI has offered the precise alignment of the freeway, which is completely different from the land acquired by the authority in Thekkil and Chengala villages.

NHAI undertaking director Nirmal Zade, in command of the four-laning of the freeway, insisted that or not it’s referred to as the precise alignment and never the brand new alignment.

Irrespective of the semantics, residents are indignant and on the similar time feeling helpless. Around 80 landowners in Thekkil and Chengala villages can be affected if NHAI goes forward with the “actual alignment” and never the land already acquired for the widening, mentioned particular deputy collector Ok Ajesh, who’s the NHAI’s Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA).

Project director Zade has directed to not launch compensation to the folks primarily based on the previous alignment in these two villages, mentioned the CALA.

Landowners are stumped. Dr V Narayanan, who retired as a authorities physician, has 17 cents of land between Poinachi and Chattanchal. In 2011, the land was first notified for acquisition. In 2013, Dr Narayanan’s one cent was notified for acquisition.

Dr Narayanan invested Rs 11.5 lakh to construct his home on the plot left by NHAI. Now, the authority says it could require his total 17 cents. (Photo | Express)

In 2014, the federal government determined solely half a cent was required and notified it once more. On February 9, 2021, the Union authorities gave him the award paper, that’s formally, the Union authorities turned the proprietor of the land, although the compensation was not paid.

On February 16, Dr Narayanan began building of his home in the remainder of the plot. He invested Rs 11.5 lakh and the construction of the home is prepared. “Now, all the officials came home and asked us to stop the construction because the new alignment may go through the house. They said we may lose the entire plot,” mentioned Dr Narayanan’s son Sreejith Kumar M C, who works in a cooperative financial institution.

To start with, NHAI was paying the household a paltry Rs 66,000 per cent as compensation for the highway-side plot. “It will be better if they bury us here before taking over our land,” mentioned Dr Narayanan’s spouse Chandravathy.

His neighbour Riyas constructed a palatial home and excessive compound wall after leaving the out land required for the freeway. His plot additionally comes within the line of the brand new alignment.

But the issue just isn’t restricted to Thekkil and Chengala. Ashraf Thalangara, who owns a business plot in Kasaragod village in Kasaragod municipality, mentioned his land was not a part of the preliminary acquisition plan. “Now, when the contractors came to begin work, they have demarcated our land for the highway,” mentioned Kunhiraman, the supervisor of Ashraf Thalangara’s business constructing.

Officials within the workplace of the Competent Authority mentioned the mismatch within the alignments turned identified when the contractors started work.

Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd (ULCCS) received the contract to rebuild the nationwide freeway stretch from Thalapady to Chengala. Hyderabad-based Megha Construction received the bid for the Chengala-Taliparamba attain.

Who is liable for the goof-up?

NHAI undertaking director Zade mentioned the issue is restricted to Thekkil village. The Competent Authority acquired land alongside the present freeway as a substitute of buying land as per the sketch, he mentioned. “Had it (acquisition) been a continuous process, the mistake would not have been there. In Kasargod, it went on for nearly 10 years,” he mentioned.

The undertaking to make the NH66 a four-lane street in Kasaragod started in 2011. The land was acquired as per the street security tips of the Indian Road Congress (IRC) issued in 2005.In 2013, the NHAI backed off from the undertaking due to disagreement with the state authorities over the tempo of the undertaking.

The undertaking resumed in 2016 when the LDF took cost of the federal government.

By then, the NHAI employed a brand new advisor to arrange a Detailed Project Report. The new advisor ready the report as per the rules of the Indian Road Congress issued in 2013-2014. “That alignment is the final,” he mentioned.

But in Kasaragod, the CALA might have continued to amass land and pay compensation as per the previous alignment, mentioned officers.

All officers have been evasive when requested if the 2016 DPR was not shared with the Competent Authority (Deputy Collector) to amass land. Between the NHAI undertaking director and Competent Authority, there may be additionally a liaison officer to go the selections of NHAI to Competent Authority, who is basically a state authorities official serving to NHAI purchase and worth land and pay the compensation.

Zade mentioned if the freeway was not made as per the 2016 alignment, there can be blind spots and accident-prone areas, defeating the aim of constructing a contemporary freeway. “We should rectify the mistake and move ahead,” he mentioned.

On not paying the compensation primarily based on the sooner alignment and acquisition, state authorities officers mentioned that was not doable. Under the National Highways Act, the Union authorities expresses its intent to amass land by issuing a notification below Section 3A. After the 21-day window to problem it, the Union authorities points one other notification below Section 3D of the Act. “Once that is done, the property belongs to the Union government and the compensation has to be paid,” mentioned an official.

Now, if the alignment is incorrect, the federal government must purchase land once more paying.

State authorities’s view

When contacted, Land Revenue Commissioner Ok Biju, who’s the particular officer for land acquisition, mentioned NHAI has not requested for extra land for the widening of the freeway in Kasaragod. “The state government will consider such a proposal as and when it comes,” he mentioned and added that there was no risk of abandoning the sooner plan.

Biju mentioned the fee of compensation is within the ultimate stage in Kasaragod. “Hardly Rs 300 crore has to be paid as compensation there. That will settle the matter in Kasaragod,” Biju mentioned.