New order to speed up Metro land acquisition

KOCHI: In an effort to catch up with the schedule of the delayed Metro rail project, revenue authorities have decided to expedite the land acquisition process along the Aluva-Vyttila stretch. The department has decided to complete the process by the end of August.
The decision was taken at a meeting called by Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) a week ago. To give clarity on rules to be followed while acquiring land, the state government had issued an order recently.The order instructs revenue officials to follow the old Land Acquisition Act and issue 4 (1) notification. "In most cases, we are using the direct purchase method. But in certain cases, land owners are not ready to part with their land. We will then have to take over their land evoking LA rules. As the government is yet to frame rules for the new act, we won't be able to acquire land based on the new act. That's why the government has issued the special order instructing us to follow the old one," an official with the revenue department said. The order promises additional compensation, if any, to land owners once the rules of the new act are framed.
However, acquisition from big land owners in Aluva, Edappally, Kacherippady and MG Road is being done by KMRL directly. At Pathadipalam near Edappally, many land owners have declined to surrender their land though the district level purchase committee and state level empowered committee (SLEC) have approved the land value. The land owners plan to move court demanding they be given compensation as per the new act.