Govt Deposits Rs 377.12 cr compensation to land owners for propsed naval base

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Government had acquired private land measuring 2,412 acre 15 guntas 7 anas located in 13 vilages of Talukas Karwar and Ankola, Uttar Kannada District in Karnataka for the purpose of creating a naval base.

At the time of acquisition of land from 1988 to 2000, a sum of Rs 22.55 crore was paid to the ex-land owners towards compensation. Over and above this, as per extant law, Rs 126 crore towards rehabilitation packages to the project affected families was also released to the State Government.

Some land owners, who were not satisfied with quantum of compensation awarded by Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO), had filed references u/s 18 of Land Acquisition (LA) Act 1894, following which the Reference Courts awarded enhanced compensation at the rate of Rs 4.60 lakh per acre, which was confirmed by the Supreme Court on September 13, 2012.

Accordingly, in compliance of the court orders, Ministry of Defence (MoD) from 2004-05 to till date has already paid Rs 377.12 crore as enhanced compensation in respect of 997 such cases, of which Rs 163.03 crore was released during 2017-18 and Rs 214.09 crore was released earlier up to 2016-17. This amount has already been deposited with SLAO, Karwar, for onward disbursal to land owners through the Execution Courts. Payment for 12 clear cases under Section 18 of LA Act, 1894, is   expected to be made by January 31, 2018, by the MoD with SLAO, Karwar.

As regards applications filed by ex-land owners u/s 28-A of LA Act, another Rs 10.51 crore was deposited by the Ministry with SLAO on January 10, 2018. Documentation in respect of remaining applications has also been fast tracked to enable early release of compensation amount. In these remaining cases, subject to the competent authorities giving clearance at the State level, the Ministry will be clearing these proposals by February 2018, according to a PIB release.