Kochi Metro project being put on the fast track
In an evident attempt to speed up the Kochi Metro work, the state government has efforts underway to ensure that the land required for the project is acquired in the next one month or so.
With the owners of the project having directly issued guidelines – without the administrative sanction of the government -for the purchase of land, it is apparent that Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) will be able to circumvent the complex procedures associated with the Land Acquisition Act, and put the project on the fast track.
KMRL managing director Elias George recently met with District Collector M G Rajamanickam and Revenue Secretary Satyajeet Rajan, and apparently persuaded them to scrap a number of procedures, including the issuing of 4(1) notification for land acquisition and draft declaration.
While the state government will not have to issue administrative sanction for land acquisition by KMRL, one of the significant land acquisition-related procedures which will still be continued will include fixing and approving land value by the district level purchase committee (DLPC) and state level empowered committee (SLEC).
After the completion of the procedures and the submission of requisition order by KMRL, the district collector will begin the survey and fix rates, which will require the approval of the SLEC.About the subsequent process, Rajamanickam said: “Once these (formal procedures) are done, we can take over the land. We will be able to acquire land in 30 to 45 days and hand it over to KMRL.”
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