CHENNAI: After series of deadlines have been jumped for completing the phase-II extension of the Mass Rapid Transit Projectm (MRTS), it seems the vexed issue of paying compensation to the land owners who have approached the court is being settled.
After the state government issued a Government Order on February 11, 2011 to acquire land under the Land Acquisition Act 1894 for the formation of the railway line between Velachery and St Thomas Mount under the phase-II extension project, the bitter legal battle has delayed the project for seven years with costs shooting up.
It is learnt that the High Court-constituted negotiation committee held its meeting with six of the petitioners recently on an individual basis to arrive at the compensation to be paid to the petitioners.
K Ramasundaram, a former railway employee, told Express that during the meeting, the petitioners demanded compensation as per the new land acquisition act or to give an alternative government land nearby.
Ramasundaram said that he had half a ground of land and the government was willing to pay `70 lakh. “I could get more than `one crore. But now there is no point in fighting. I will be taking the compensation and may appeal to the Supreme Court earlier,” he said
While other five petitioners could be reached, it is learnt that most of the petitioners may take up the compensation.Ramasundaram said that until all petitioners join together and approach the Supreme Court, the land owners could get the compensation as per the new act which they are entitled to.
The MRTS phase-II extension is considered to be a vital component of the multi-modal integration and to decongest the city. As the whole MRTS phase-II extension has a total distance of 5 km of which 4.5-km length has been completed (Velachery to Adambakkam). However, the 500-metre stretch from Adambakkam to St Thomas Mount station is only pending. In this section, erection of pillars and underpass beneath the railway lines is underway while the remaining construction works are pending for taking possession of the private land.
Interestingly, the cost of MRTS project has shot up and the government has sought justification on why for the MRTS phase-II extension, where work has not been undertaken for several years, salaries are continued to be provided to staff and in cases extensions have also been given.
Rising costs
It is learnt from sources that the 5-km stretch for the MRTS phase-II was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 495.75 crore. But now the cost has shot up to Rs 919 crore due to delays over land acquisition litigation
‘File phone theft plaints with IMEI numbers’
Chennai: The Southern Railway has urged passengers who lodge complaints of theft or missing of mobile phones on railway premises to furnish IMEI, a unique identification number. According to a release from the Southern Railway, the Government Railway Police are unable to take any action on complaints of theft/loss/missing of mobile phones since the complainants are not furnishing the 15-digit IMEI number of the handsets at the time of lodging complaints. The 15-digit IMEI number is easily accessible through dialling *#06# from each mobile handset. The release has requested rail users to record and furnish IMEI number of the lost mobile handsets while lodging complaints