Raviprasad Kamila/The Hindu
- Three petitions challenging land acquisition rejected
- In its judgment, court said there was no substance in the objections raised by petitioners
- ‘Valuation of the petitioners’ property will be taken up before taking up widening work’
Mangalore, Mar 4: The Karnataka High Court has rejected three writ petitions filed by 17 people challenging the land acquisition for widening National Highway 13 between Nanthoor Circle and Bikarnakatta in the city. The court has also vacated the stay on the land acquisition proceedings. The copies of the court order are with The Hindu.
This has cleared the decks for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to widen the 1.1-km stretch between the circle and Bikarnakatta as a four-lane highway. The NHAI could not widen this stretch since 2006 because of the case pending in the High Court. This stretch forms part of the bigger and ongoing four-laning of the road between Surathkal and B.C. Road. The road covers stretches of National Highways 17, 13 and 48 under the Centre’s port connectivity project.
Sources in the NHAI told The Hindu that now it will prepare the valuation of the property of those 17 persons to pay them compensation before taking up the widening work. It has already valued the property of other owners on the stretch.
While rejecting the petitions the court observed: “… The contention of the petitioners that their objections were not considered and personal hearing was not given certainly cannot be accepted…”
The order, dated January 23, 2009, quoted a Supreme Court judgment (Ramanikal N.B. Butta vs. State of Maharashtra) which said: “… The means of transportation, power and communications are in dire need of substantial improvement, expansion and modernisation. These things very often call for acquisition of land and that too without any delay…”
The High Court in its judgment said that there was no substance in the objections raised by the 17 petitioners.
The NHAI was to pay Rs. 14 crore as compensation to different persons for acquiring stretches of land required for the entire project between Surathkal and B.C. Road. So far it has disbursed Rs. 8.73 crore. The balance is pending as some persons have not come forward to receive it, sources said.
Sources said the High Court has disposed of another writ petition challenging the land acquisition proceedings for the construction of a flyover at Nanthoor Circle requiring land on both NH 17 and 48.