COIMBATORE: The proposed widening of the Sitra-Kurumbapalayam Road into a four-lane corridor has hit another hurdle, with land acquisition progressing slowly despite clear directions from the district administration. Landowners have alleged disparities in the compensation fixed by officials and have refused to part with their properties until the issue is resolved.
Sources said only around 35% of the land acquisition (LA) process has been completed so far. As a result, the state highways department is now planning to commence construction only in the next financial year, likely from April 2027.
The 8.6-km stretch from Sitra Junction on Avinashi Road to Kurumbapalayam via Kalapatti has been identified as a key traffic corridor, particularly for motorists travelling towards Mettupalayam, Ooty and other destinations in the Nilgiris. With the existing two-lane road frequently witnessing heavy congestion, residents and commuters have long demanded its expansion.
The Rs 51.22-crore project envisages a four-lane road with a 20-metre right of way, dual 7.5-metre-wide carriageways, a central median and pedestrian footpaths. Since several portions of the existing road are barely 10m wide and affected by roadside encroachments, the government has earmarked Rs 27 crore for acquiring private land.
A couple of months ago, District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar inspected the proposed alignment and directed officials from the revenue and highways departments to expedite the acquisition process. However, progress has remained slow.
Landowners claimed that the compensation was not determined in accordance with the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act. They alleged that while one survey field had been valued at Rs 1,000 per sq ft, another was fixed at only Rs 155 per sq ft, despite being located in the same project area.
"We are not opposing the road widening project. We only want fair compensation as per the law. The valuation should be based on genuine market transactions and guideline values, not arbitrary figures," said a landowner from Kalapatti.
Another affected resident said the authorities had relied on sale data from 2020, when property registrations were severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. "There were hardly any land transactions during that period. Officials should instead consider transactions from earlier or subsequent years, as permitted under the Act," the resident said.
Speaking to TNIE, officials from the highways department maintained that efforts are under way to resolve the compensation issues through discussions with landowners. They expressed hope that the remaining acquisition process would be completed soon, paving the way for the long-awaited road widening project. "Compensation for certain lands differ owing to the structures on it and whether it's a barren land or agriculture land. Only a handful are creating issues unnecessarily and we're planning to deal with them legally," one official said.