In a major relief to the Revenue Department, the Kerala High Court has rejected a petition seeking to cancel the Mananchira- Vellimadukunnu road widening project following the expiry of a notification to acquire land for the purpose.
A proposal to widen the 8.4-km stretch from Mananchira to Vellimadukunnu had been included in Kozhikode City Road Improvement Project (KCRIP) more than two years ago. Subsequently, it was decided to acquire land under Section 4 (1) of the Land Acquisition Act so as to convert the highway into a four-lane carriageway.
Writ petition
However, a landowner Payyathottathil Ravindran of Paroppady had filed a writ petition in the court stating that the Revenue Department had not made any declaration and had not awarded any package under Section 6 and Section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act within two years after the notification came into effect.
The petitioner had, therefore, argued that the project should be abandoned. The petition said there was no need for the development of the Mananchira- Vellimadukunnu road as one of the parallel Kozhikode- Kunnamangalam road was nearing completion.
In his verdict, Justice V. Chitambaresh said the widening of the road was intended to ease the traffic congestion in and around Kozhikode city.
Quoting a Supreme Court order in Urban Improvement Trust case on acquiring land for a public purpose, it said: “Section 6 (1) does not require that such sanction could be published in the official gazette after expiry of one year from the date of publication of the notification under Section 4 (1) of the Land Acquisition Act.
Time limit of one year is prescribed to a declaration to be made that land is needed for a public purpose under the signature of a Secretary or authorised officer to such government.”
Verdict hailed
Welcoming the verdict, M.P. Vasudevan, general secretary, Mananchira- Vellimadukunnu Road Action Committee, said the dream project of the city should be implemented at any cost. A mafia was involved in scuttling the plan.
He demanded that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy release the promised fund of Rs.100 crore for the project. So far, the Revenue Department had received only Rs.25 crore.
Recently, the government gave financial sanction of Rs.10 crore for the project.
