Samiti seeks fair compensation for land acquired for NH 169

Bhoomalikara Horata Samiti NH 169 has demanded fair compensation for those surrendering land for the four-laning of the NH 169 project (from Mangaluru-Moodbidri-Karkala).

Samithi president Mariamma Thomas told reporters at Patrika Bhavan on Friday that officials had passed a notification to acquire 13,74,559.82 square metres of land in Sanoor, Beluvai, Padumarnad, Tenka Mijar, Badaga Edapadavu, Badaga Ulipady, Mooduperar, Kandavara, Muloor, Tiruvail and Kudupu villages.

Though the market value of one square metre of land in Padavu was Rs 23,000, the officials had fixed a rate of Rs 1,850 per square metre, she said.

In Tenka Mijar, compensation for agricultural land per cent was Rs 26,500 and Rs 2.60 lakh per cent for converted land. In Tiruvail, it was Rs 1 lakh for one cent agricultural land and Rs 6.98 lakh per cent for converted land. Thus, 230 land losers had succeeded in getting a stay against the acquisition process from High Court. Officials from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) are yet to file objections for the stay order in court, she added.

Mariamma alleged that officials had changed alignment for road work to benefit some influential persons.

The landowners are not against the road work, she said.

“We witness traffic congestion daily on the road and thus the road should be widened. But, if we received meagre compensation, where should we go?” she asked.

Samiti member Brijesh Shetty said that MP Nalin Kumar Kateel’s claim that over 65% of the land being acquired for the project was far from true. Only 15% of the converted land was acquired so far.

The Samiti alleged that MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had remained silent on the injustice meted out to them.

GST on compensation for land losers?

Bhoomalikara Samiti president Mariamma Thomas said that owing to the special land acquisition officer’s faulty interpretation, 12% GST is being collected from landowners who received compensation.

“There is no scope for collecting GST from compensation paid to land losers,” she stressed.