KAKKANAD: Problems dodge the Kochi Metro Project at every turn. The District Administration which had worked hard to acquire the land owned Seematti at MG Road, will have to sweat it out again as only seven of the 69 land owners along the South junction- South Railway Station stretch have agreed to surrender their land for Kochi Metro Project.
The district level purchase committee(DLPC) headed by the District Collector, had fixed `52 lakh per cent as the land value at the stretch but the land owners are standing fast in their demand for an additional package for their land. This has put the administration in a quandary.
“There is nothing more to explain. We have already informed the acquisition date to all the land owners and served them eviction notice. The rate fixed by the DLPC will be provided to the land owners as the same has been implemented while acquiring land at north railway station,” said P Sobhana, Deputy Collector, Kochi Metro. The land belonging to various shops, Yuvarani Bar, Kochi Corporation’s multi-storied building, RE office, Sub-registrar office, Nalanda Bar and Girls Higher Secondary School are the major holdings that the district administration has to acquire along the South Railway Station area.
“The land belonging to the RE office, the Sub-registrar office and Nalanda bar has been acquired. Around 18 cents of land needs to be acquired from the Kochi Corporation’s shopping mall at South and we are waiting the corporation’s nod,” Deputy Collector said.
As per the data available with KMRL 65.3 cents of land is needed for the construction of the viaduct at Jose Junction-South Railway Station stretch and 63 cents is required at Ernakulam South Station for the construction of metro station.
The Deputy Collector said that force will be used to acquire land. “The deadline given to the land owners has expired. We have, however, extended the deadline to May 30. If they do not willingly relinquish their land the administration will take possession by using force method on June 1,” said the Deputy Collector.
The land at South Railway station junction will be mainly used to construct two metro stations and one viaduct. No parking space has been allotted for the project.
The Stalemate
■ District administration has fixed May 30 as the deadline for surrendering the land
■ Force will be used to acquire land if the owners fail to release the land.
■ District Administration has fixed June 1 as the date for forcible land acquisition
■ 65.3 cents of land is needed for the construction of the viaduct at Jose Junction-South Railway Station stretch
■ 63 cents is required at Ernakulam South Station for the construction of metro station
■ Land belonging to RE office, the Sub-registrar office and Nalanda bar has been acquired
■ Around 18 cents of land needs to be acquired from the Kochi Corporation’s shopping mall at South
■ DLPC has fixed `52 lakh per cent as the land value
■ Land owners are standing fast in their demand for an additional package