Court Orders Secretary's Appearance Over Affidavit Non-Compliance
The Kerala High Court has directed the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to appear before it via video conferencing on Monday. This order follows the ministry's failure to comply with an earlier directive to file an affidavit regarding the finalisation of land acquisition proceedings for the Vizhinjam-Navaikulam Outer Ring Road (ORR) project in Thiruvananthapuram.
Justice C Jayachandran issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by Ajith G of Pezhoorkonam and four other landowners, collectively representing the Vizhinjam ORR Land Owners’ Welfare Movement. The petitioners seek immediate disbursal of compensation and rehabilitation assistance after their land was acquired for the project.
Land Acquisition and Compensation Delays
According to the petitioners, although a notification under Section 3D of the National Highways Act, 1956, was issued in 2023, no compensation has been paid to date. During a hearing in March, the central government submitted that the determination of compensation under Section 3G of the Act had not been completed and that the project had not yet received approval from MoRTH.
Taking note of this submission, the High Court directed the MoRTH Secretary to file an affidavit within two months specifying the time required to complete the proceedings and clarifying whether the project had been approved by the ministry. The court issued this directive after noting that the petitioners had effectively been deprived of their land, which had already vested absolutely in the central government free from all encumbrances.
Non-Compliance Leads to Summon
However, despite the lapse of more than three months, the affidavit has not been filed. This prompted the High Court to direct the secretary’s appearance before it through video conferencing. The court's strong stance underscores the urgency of resolving the matter, as landowners continue to await compensation and rehabilitation.
