THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Putting an end to the prolonged uncertainty faced by over 6,500 families along the proposed alignment of the long-pending Outer Ring Road (ORR) project, the state government has sanctioned Rs 3,200 crore towards land acquisition.
A senior official associated with the acquisition process said compensation payments could begin within 90 days once the project secures final approval and the funds are released by both the Union and state governments.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board will hold a public hearing on Thursday, which is mandatory to obtain environmental clearance. Of the 24 villages falling within the project corridor, land acquisition notifications have been completed in only 11 villages.
A district administration official said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is yet to submit details on land requirements as per the updated Detailed Project Report (DPR).
“Owing to the delays, notification issued for 13 villages has been cancelled. We need to reissue it. Though the alignment remains unchanged, the revised DPR reportedly envisages additional land acquisition at 23 locations for flyovers and grade separators. NHAI is yet to give clarity on the additional land required and its survey numbers,” said the official.
The digital survey has further complicated the acquisition process. “Digital survey has forced changes in survey numbers and necessitated revisions to acquisition records and compensation documents,” said the official.
A section of land owners who surrendered their plots has come out in protest against the compensation framework being followed for the project. They are planning to submit a representation demanding its revision to the chief minister and the revenue minister.
“The government should pay replacement value for structures that will be knocked down. Giving depreciated values for structures is illegal. There are many irregularities with the project; nothing is being done in a transparent manner. If needed, we will take it up legally,” said Ramachandran Nair, a land owner.
The NHAI has invited bids for the `8,004.72-crore ORR project stretching from Viizhinjam to Navaikulam. The 62.7-km-long, four-lane greenfield corridor, is being designed under the Build-Operate-Transfer model.