THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The long-pending Vizhinjam-Navaikulam Outer Ring Road (ORR) project has crossed a major hurdle with the Union ministry for environment granting clearance for the project giving relief for over 6,500 families who surrendered their property to facilitate the project in the capital.
The state government had earlier allocated Rs 3,200 crore for land acquisition for the project but owing to technical hurdles and delayed clearances from the Centre,the affected families continue to be at the receiving end.
A senior official of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) told the TNIE that the ORR project has received the mandatory environmental clearance putting an end to all uncertainties. “The project also has the approval from the finance department.
Now the Union cabinet has to approve it. The minutes of the environmental clearance will come out in a week and the project is expected to get the final approval from the Centre,” said a senior official of NHAI.
Under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, beneficiaries are legally entitled to 12% annual interest on delayed payments. The interest will be calculated from the date of official notification for land acquisition up until the actual date of compensation delivery.
Around 6,500 families have had their land documents tied up with revenue offices for years without receiving payouts.
The project is estimated to cost around Rs 12,000 crore. “We have calculated 12% interest and prepared the award draft. The beneficiaries will get 12% of the land value, calculated from the date of the Section 3A notification up to the date of the award,” said the official. The compensation package is expected to range between Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore.
Attingal MP Adoor Prakash, who has been pursuing the project with the Centre, said that the state government’s payment of its share had removed one of the major hurdles.
“The first hurdle was that the state government had not paid the required funds. Now the state government has sanctioned it, the clearance procedures have been completed at the Centre and the queries raised by them have also been addressed,” he said.
The 62.7-km four-lane greenfield ORR from Vizhinjam to Navaikulam is estimated to cost Rs 8,004.72 crore and is intended to improve connectivity between Vizhinjam Seaport and the northern parts of Thiruvananthapuram.
The project passes through 24 to 31 villages, though land acquisition notifications have so far been completed in only 11 villages.
interest to be calculated from date of notification
Under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency, beneficiaries are entitled to 12% interest on delayed payments. The interest will be calculated from the date of notification for land acquisition up until the actual date of compensation delivery.