MALAPPURAM: The second phase of the land survey for National Highway 66 development began at Perumpadapp panchayat on Thursday. The district revenue authorities completed the survey of a 3.1 kilometre- stretch from the district border in Kappirikkadu on the first day. There were three units for the survey. Officials said that more units would be deployed in the coming days for the survey of the 24 kilometre stretch from Ponnani to Kuttippuram.
Meanwhile, the police arrested four leaders of the NH Action Council which is spearheading the protests against land acquisition. The arrested include the Council's state committee member Kakkatharayil Shylock and Ponnani taluk convener Mahmoo Veliyankod. They were held for attempting to block officials from performing their duty. The protestors alleged that instead of acquiring land equally from both sides of the existing highway, the revenue official was surveying only one side of the road.
"The government had earlier assured the affected parties that there would not be any disparity in the land acquisition. But the ongoing survey is against this assurance and many parts of the land were marked only on one side," NH Action Council district leader Abullais Thenhipalam said. The deputy collector in charge of the NH land acquisition, Dr J.O Arun said that the survey was progressing as per the plan. The first phase survey of the 55 kilometre-stretch between Kuttippuram and Idimuzhikkla has almost been completed. Only 2.25 kilometres remain to be covered in Idimuzhikkal, the district border, where the protests against the alignment are strong.
