KARWAR:Evacuees of the Project Seabird naval base have approached Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for the release of the enhanced compensation promised to them in return for thousands of acres in Karwar and nearby taluks.
A delegation led by Karwar-Ankola MLA Satish Sail met Parrikar in Goa on Thursday and urged him to direct the Defence Estates Officer (DEO) to make arrangements to deposit the enhanced compensation at the earliest. The delegation also requested 50 per cent of jobs in group D be reserved for the families which had lost land, and locals of Karwar and Ankola.
The delegation told Parrikar that 2.18 acres of private land was acquired from 12 villages and about 4,032 families had been affected by this. Compensation of Rs 150 to Rs 200 per gunta was awarded by the Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO) of the naval base in Karwar. However, 1,077 land acquisition cases were filed for enhancement of compensation before the senior civil judges in Karwar and Kumta.
The appeals filed by the SLAO in most cases were dismissed.
In land acquisition case No. 11/1993, Rs 11,500 per gunta was awarded by the senior civil judge in Karwar. The first appeal by the DEO before the Karnataka High Court was dismissed on April 4, 2007.
The special leave petition filed by the DEO before the Supreme Court was also dismissed and the Rs 12,000 per gunta for non-agricultural land awarded by the trial court was confirmed. All the appeals by the DEO before the Supreme Court were dismissed. Those who lost land had filed 1,468 petitions under Sec 28(A) of the Land Acquisition Act before the SLAO in Karwar. Thirty per cent of these cases were in favour of the land losers.
The delegation said delay in paying compensation would be a burden on the DEO and SLAO as they would have to pay 15 per cent on the principal award amount from the date of the order.
Parrikar to Visit KARWAR in May
Karwar Urban Development Authority chairman Shambhu Shetty said Parrikar had assured them that the issue would be resolved at the earliest. The minister also said he would visit Karwar in May to speak to the evacuees.
