NH land acquisition getting murkier    April 26, 2010               Source: expressbuzz.com

Utter confusion which prevails even among ministers about the NH widening project is likely to cost dearly the development plans of National Highways 17 and 47. Though the PWD had inked a contract with the National Highways Authority of India for developing NH 17 and 47 under the BOT plan, a section of ministers questioned the existence of such an agreement in the cabinet meeting the other day.

Minister C. Divakaran, K.P. Rajendran and N.K. Premachandran who are learnt to have raised the issue in the cabinet meeting alleged that the alignment of new roads will make thousands of poor people homeless. Another major allegation levelled by these Ministers was that the NHAI had diluted acquisition plans for helping some bar hotel owners who own land alon NH-47.

It is reliably learnt that the NHAI authorities are unhappy over the recent controversies about the NH widening work in Kerala. NHAI chairman Brijeswar Singh will arrive here on Tuesday to hold discussions with the Chief Minister and PWD authorities. He may also attend the all-party meeting on land acquisition scheduled on that day.

If a consensus can’t be reached on the acquisition issue, NHAI may drop the project.

“The recent controversy was created by these ministers at the most inappropriate time. We had demanded more compensation for evictees and the NHAI had approved the demand in principle.

A proposal to conduct a socio-economic survey to gauge the difficulties faced by evictees and other locals was also planned,’’ said a top source in the Works department.

The proposal of the department was to demand land price at market rates for evictees and also provide decent rehabilitation plans for them.

“It was the duty of the government to bargain hard and translate these plans into action. Instead, they are challenging the basic agreement which is a common factor for all roads in the country,’’ said the source. In a press note issued here on Saturday, PWD Principal Secretary Tom Jose clarified that there was no substance in the allegation regarding bar hotels.

“Earlier, an allegation was raised that there were efforts to favour some bar-owners by manipulating the alignment plans. This charge was proved baseless in the inquiry. Of the 22 bars which have come up along Kazhakkoottam- Cherthala stretch of NH 47, 16 will be affected by acquisition,’’ he said.

Tom Jose also said that the PWD was committed to complete the NH widening plan with minimum inconvenience to local residents.