Peveed at the alleged delay in completing the survey and laying of boundary stones for the Kundannoor-Angamaly NH 544 Bypass (Ernakulam Bypass), residents have approached the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nithin Gadkari.
They said stone-laying had been only partly completed in four of the total 18 villages through which the proposed 44-km greenfield NH corridor would pass. This has given rise to fear of further delay in commissioning the long-overdue project that was mulled a decade ago to decongest the Edappally-Aroor NH 66 Bypass and the Edappally-Angamaly NH 544 stretch.
In his petition to Mr. Gadkari, Paul Chacko from Mattoor, whose plot of land was included in the 3(A) notification to acquire land, rued that both the survey and laying of boundary stones, the work on which began several months ago, was causing concern among landowners. “Officials of the National Highways Authority of India [NHAI] are not giving any clear-cut answer about the slow progress of works. In this situation, I am unable to sell the land or construct any building there. The monsoon season will start in Kerala by the end of May, and stone-laying work in paddy fields will be very difficult,” he said.
Any further delay would necessitate a fresh publication of the 3(A) notification, said T.S. Jubair, convenor of a coordination committee of people whose plots of land would be acquired for the project. This delay would even result in people not being able to claim the 12% interest that landowners ought to be paid for the time span between the publication of 3(A) and 3(D) notifications. There was also concern that a few landowners were exerting pressure to shift the alignment of the corridor, he added.
The 3(D) notification would include details of the proposed land acquisition, like location, extent, and the purpose of the project. It is the first formal step in the land acquisition process.
The inordinate delay in land acquisition for the greenfield NH project would in turn escalate the project cost and cause undue hardships to landowners and also motorists who were having a harrowing time on the Edappally-Aroor Bypass, said P.V. Paulson, a resident of Angamaly and chairman (Kochi chapter) of Indian Institute of Materials Management.
Meanwhile, NHAI officials attributed the delay to the difference of opinion between the NH project’s detailed project report consultant firm and its sub-contractor regarding payment. The issue would be sorted out, they said.
