KOCHI: Hurdles to acquire land always leads to stalling of several infrastructure and development projects in the state. From constructing a canal to a National Highway, the government faces stiff opposition from the public in acquiring land for the projects.
In such a scenario, 60-year-old Sajeev John, a resort owner near Vyttila, has set an example for people protesting against surrendering land for the development projects, by giving up his 1.25 cents of land worth over `20 lakh to the Kochi Corporation to develop the crossroad near Vyttila to 4.10 m width, without seeking anything in return.
Sajeev said the difficulty being faced by commuters motivated him to surrender his land for free.
“With the construction of the overbridge starting at Vyttila Junction, the movement of vehicles through the Bund Road has increased rapidly. Since it is a narrow stretch, only two and three-wheelers can pass through it. So, I decided to put an end to the traffic menace and expressed my willingness to surrender the land,” said Sajeev.
“If I surrender the land for widening the road, the vehicles which come through Bund Road can reach Canal Road without getting stuck in the heavy traffic at Vyttila Junction,” said Sajeev.
This is not the first time Sajeev has surrendered his land. A few years ago, he had offered nearly one cent of his land for widening the road at Vyttila. “In Kerala, money can be invested in all petty things. But when it comes to development, the government is not giving due consideration to it. I am really happy I could set an example by surrendering my land. This might serve as an eye-opener for many people,” he said.
However, Sajeev said surrendering the land even for free was not an easy affair.
“Though I expressed my willingness to surrender land for free, the authorities and politicians were not ready to accept it. They also restricted the move citing technical issues in acquiring the land if someone gave it for free. This led me to erect a signboard in front of the plot expressing my interest to give away the land. Since it would benefit several commuters, people started forcing the MLA and the local councillor to acquire the land. The agreement to surrender the land was finally reached after the Mayor came to know about the issue. On Tuesday, I finally signed an agreement with the Corporation,” said Sajeev.
He said though several people were ready to surrender their land for developmental activities, they were not getting any recognition from the government.