THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Francis Xavier SR, a 63-year-old fish worker, and wife Gracy from Kalluvettankuzhy in Venganoor village have been spending sleepless nights ever since KSEB decided to draw the 220-KV electricity line over their property. The 22-cent property and a house named Grace Bhavan is all they have left with for securing the future of their three children.
Francis’ house is barely two kilometers from the upcoming Vizhinjam International Sea Port project. When the land price increased in the area after the sea port project was announced, the family was expecting a good deal for the land, but what they have received is a raw deal from KSEB.
“I want to marry off my daughters by selling the land. But the government is taking away my land without paying adequate compensation,” said Francis. He said the proposed line would pass over his house and 18 cents of land would be rendered useless after the distribution lines are drawn.
There are around 100 families comprising mostly daily labourers and fishermen would be affected by the project.
Residents in Vizhinjam and Venganoor villages have approached the High Court seeking fair compensation for the land taken. The power lines pass through both villages. They insist that theirs is different from the protest against the KSEB’s high-tension lines drawn over Meena Menon’s Santhivanam at Paravur in Ernakulam.
“We are not against the project. The government should not take away our land without giving adequate compensation,” said Rajan D of A R Bhavan in Kalluvettankuzhy, one of the petitioners. He has 5.5 cents of land facing the NH bypass. “Earlier, there was an offer of `12 lakh per cent for my land. Now nobody will buy my land with a KSEB line cutting through it,” said Rajan.
He said the KSEB decision has also become a social issue after marital disputes have started arising in some of the families. Chellappan Nadar, a KSRTC conductor, bequeathed 6.5 cents of land to his daughter. But his son-in-law is now creating trouble over the valuation of the land. Rajan intervened in one of the family disputes and gave them hope that the court would see merit in their complaint.
Krishnakumar V, a ration shop owner and one of the petitioners, said the transmission line will cut his 65-cent property in Kalluvettankuzhy into half.
“The property has many trees. KSEB may compensate for the loss of jackfruit and coconut trees, but I am more worried about the huge loss if the electricity board has its way,” he said.