Another ‘bogus’ claim by govt., say Kinfra land losers

Knowledge Park compensation issue remains unsettled

Those who have lost land for the Kinfra Knowledge Park in Ramanattukara in Kozhikode district have termed the State government’s promise of compensation for the semi high-speed rail line project (SilverLine) ‘bogus’.

P. Mohammed Faisal, coordinator, Ramanattukara Kinfra Knowledge Park Land Losers Action Committee, told the media on Thursday that the government had promised to give five cents and a house for those who gave up land for the project. The committee functionaries claimed that though land was acquired for the Knowledge Park 13 years ago, neither the Department of Industries nor Kinfra were able to give a specific response on the release of the compensation. Fifteen of the 140 landowners were no more.

The government ordered the acquisition of 80 acres in Ramanattukara in 2008. Of this, 76.66 acres were acquired in 2010. At that time, the government paid only one-tenth of the fair value of the land. Till now, the government has not yet paid the full compensation to them. The committee functionaries said they have had a long legal battle and the Kerala High Court passed a compromise decree in 2018, based on which the government had to pay complete compensation by November that year. The government, however, approached the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, a six-storey building came up at the acquired land. Though the landowners held a protest outside the building for one-and-a-half years in 2020, officials ignored it.