River-linking project: Land-losers will get relief of Rs. 120 crore

TIRUNELVELI

TIRUNELVELI

Compensation to the tune of Rs. 120 crore will be disbursed soon to the villagers, who have given land for digging the flood carrier channel of Tamirabharani – Karumaeniyar – Nambiyar river linking project, Assembly Speaker M. Appavu said.

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday after reviewing the progress of the ongoing river linking works at various points to complete the project before the start of northeast monsoon, he said huge pipes were being laid beneath the temporary road being laid along the 4-lane national highway to ensure free flow of surplus water of the Tamirabharani getting diverted into the flood carrier channel originating at Vellankuzhi near Veeravanallur.

 Since the pipes would be able to carry 1,300 cusecs of water, the water released in the flood carrier channel would easily cross the highway to reach the areas where the third and the fourth packages of the river-linking works were being executed.

“Barring the areas like Pottalvilai, Mannarpuram and Kottaikarungulam, the third phase areas where only 40% of the flood carrier channel works have been completed, more than 80% of the works have been executed in all other areas. So we’ve instructed the officials concerned to expedite the work so that we can take the water to the actual beneficiaries in the tail-end areas at the earliest,” he said.

 He informed that land acquisition in 30 of the 40 villages had been completed and Rs. 237 crore had been paid through bank accounts as compensation. Another Rs. 120 crore was required for the land-losers of 10 villages including Muthumoththanmozhi, Thisaiyanvilai, Vijayanarayanam and Mannaarpuram villages.

 “I’ll personally meet the ministers and the Chief Minister within the next few days to press the appeal of releasing this compensation (Rs. 120 crore) immediately so that the project can be commissioned before March 31,” he said.