Title - Rates fixed for land acquisition

The district administration has completed the process of fixing prices for land that is to be acquired for doubling the railway track from Mulanthuruthy in Kottayam, to Chengannur in Alappuzha, according to an official release issued by District Collector Mini Antony.The formalities were completed by holding discussions, chaired by Ms. Antony, with over 2,000 land holders.According to the project, a total of 34 hectares of land will be acquired from 19 villages that have been divided into three reaches. Ms. Antony also informed that the rates fixed for a majority of villages have already been approved by the concerned state-level committee that is headed by the Chief Secretary.The railway department will soon commence registration procedures and acquire plots from those land holders who have provided the required consent papers accepting prices set by the district-level purchasing committee. Those land holders who have not agreed upon the fixed prices will be provided those rates fixed by the State Government.Meanwhile, a meeting that was convened by Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan at the District Collectorate on Tuesday decided to recommence the process of land acquisition for the development of Kottayam-Kumarakom road on September 10. The latest phase of the project will involve demolishing buildings from those plots for which land acquisition formalities have been completed.