The proposed widening of the 33-km Akkarai-Mamallapuram stretch of East Coast Road, along which Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation has begun removing compound walls and petty shops, is set to be delayed. Several people who own land on the stretch plan to move the Madras high court against the government for ‘acquiring’ land without paying compensation for 20 years and get a stay order to stop further demolition.
P S Ponraj of Muttukadu, who is among the 25 land-owners filing a writ petition in court, bought 9.75 cents of land there in 2004. “I checked the patta of the previous owner and paid the full amount while registering. When I got the patta in my name, I got only 8 cents. About 1.75 cents worth at least 35 lakh has just disappeared,” he said.
The proof of land acquisition was not mentioned in any of the encumbrance certificates for any of the owners, he said. “Not only have they not paid compensation, they have not even made the notification for land acquisition,” he said.
Lydie Vranken, who runs a restaurant on ECR, has been the driving force for Ponraj and others – sourcing government documents to expose shortcomings. “Though work began in 1992, I got to know that my property is in trouble in 2013 after I read newspaper reports that ECR is going to be widened. Initially I thought the previous owners had cheated me. But the government’s inefficiency came through when I went through the EC,” she said. “We will demand compensation according to the amended Land Act which gives full market value,” she said.
TNRDC officials say the government can only pay compensation according to the value of land in 1995 when the award was given. “We will add 12% interest for delay,” said an official.
According to government notification from 1995, land in Kanathur was valued at 1,872 for a cent. “It is now around 15 lakh for a cent,” said Vranken.
Courtesy: TOI Chennai