COIMBATORE: Residents and landowners along the proposed four-laning of highway on the Coimbatore- Tiruppur stretch have raised serious concerns over alleged unauthorised construction activities on their land without prior compensation.
The 38-kilometre road project connecting Attayampalayam in Tiruppur district to Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district has been underway since February 2025.
Residents of Ottar Palayam and Pogalur villages allege that construction activities, including road laying and installation of electric poles, have begun on patta lands without obtaining consent or providing compensation.
"We are not against development, but our rights cannot be ignored," said a villager. "The authorities must first fix and provide fair compensation before entering our land."
Villagers claim that repeated complaints to the Highways Department and Electricity Board have gone unanswered. They are now urging district authorities to intervene promptly, ensure transparency, and uphold legal procedures in land acquisition.
The highway expansion plan involves acquiring roadside lands across several local bodies, including Kanjapalli, Ottar Palayam, Pongalur, Vadavalli, Pallepalayam, and Annur. Authorities had earlier conducted a public consultation meeting, where affected residents demanded compensation at twice the prevailing market rate.
Officials from the Highways and Land Acquisition wing had assured the public that detailed compensation structures, covering land, buildings and trees, would be finalised and communicated in a follow-up meeting before any acquisition process began. Based on this assurance, residents dispersed, expecting due process to be followed. As there was no response from the authorities, locals started raising fresh complaints in the past month.