Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Feb 14: Ramadas Nayak, convener of ‘National Highway 17 Land Acquisition Action Committee’ has claimed that the state High Court has stayed acquisition of additional land for the widening of the national highway 17. He said that some of the affected persons had approached the High Court against the acquisition of more than 45 metres of land for converting the Suratkal-Kundapur stretch of the national highway into a four-lane road.

Addressing a press conference after the conclusion of a meeting of the highway land acquisition affected people at Shamili auditorium here on Sunday February 13, Nayak said that about 180 persons from Kundapur, Suratkal, Nantoor, and Haleangady had filed the said writ applications, and that the High Court has issued the stay order as above. “As a result work has been stalled in places where over 45 metres of land were proposed to be acquired. Within the next two weeks, 500 more people will be filing writ petitions on the same lines,” he revealed.

Nayak pointed out that the National Highways Authority of India had agreed to limit land acquisition to between 35 and 45 metres in all places of Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra, through which the national highway 17 passes, without agreeing to apply the same yardstick in Karnataka. He pointed out that the width of the land acquired has been retained at 60 metres specifically in Udupi district, and that in and around Mangalore, the land acquired is only 45 metres. “We are not against highway development. But we are opposed the way in which the government is acquiring land through oppression, and without providing proper information. The Authority has been demolishing buildings illegally by hiring contractors, which is an anti-people policy,” he alleged.

Nayak said that those who have lost their lands for the national highway widening, hailing from various places located between Talapady to Kundapur, had participated in the meeting held on Sunday. He added that the meeting had decided to fight out the issue in the court, and that those who had so far stayed away from approaching the court, have now opted to file writ petitions.

Office bearers of the committee, D M Shetty, Ashokraj Yermal, Michael Castelino Mangalore, T Sukumar, Niranjan Mangalore, Sudhir Hegde, and Dr Sukhanand Shenoy were present at the press conference.