Land acquisition for IIT to resume next week

Land acquisition for the permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Palakkad, will resume next week with the government issuing an order to take over 44.35 acres from private individuals.

The Revenue Additional Secretary has issued the order on a report from the Palakkad District Collector based on a social impact study prepared by Donbosco College, Kannur.

As per the order, land will be forcibly acquired from the individuals concerned offering fair value. Only reasonable negotiation on land price will be permitted, that too depends on the response of the landowners. Disputes over fixing of fair value for the land between officials and owners had delayed the land acquisition process for over two years.

The latter had been demanding ₹1.4 lakh a cent while the prevailing land price in the locality was ₹42,000 a cent.

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has warned that it will consider shifting the institution outside the State if land acquisition is delayed further. The Palakkad IIT requires 504 acres for its permanent campus. Acquisition of 43 acres from the Forest Department is almost over while the Pudussery grama panchayat handed over 21.84 acres and the Industries Department 70.02 acres. A total of 453 acres has been acquired but the Union Ministry wants the entire land transferred to it to begin construction works, which are expected to be over in 36 months.

The Union government has released ₹1,315 crore as the first instalment for setting up the permanent campus in addition to ₹163.25 crore for erecting a compound wall.