Kochi: A person belonging to Kasargod district has moved the High Court seeking higher compensation for the land acquired for the gas pipeline project of GAIL India.
The petitioner Suhara, 65, has sought compensation under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (LARR) 2013 instead of the Petroleum and Minerals, Pipelines (Acquisition of Right user in land) Act, 1962. The petitioner has named the Ministry of Rural Development, GAIL India Ltd, General Manager, GAIL India Ltd, Kerala and the Deputy Collector of Kasargod as respondents in the case.
Suhara having over 5.15 acres of land at Panayal village in Hosdurg taluk stated in her petition that over 27.60 ares of her land (one are is 2.471 cents) was acquired for the pipeline project. The compensation awarded for the property is too little compared to the market value which is Rs 5-6 lakh per cent. The compensation given was around Rs 6.8 lakh for the entire property of 27.60 ares.
According to T.R.S. Kumar, counsel for the petitioner, GAIL is bound to pay compensation as per the provisions of the LARR 2013. The ministry of rural development in a circular dated August 28, 2018 clearly stated that the people affected by land acquisition have the right for fair compensation, he said.The circular says, "the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, relating to the determination of compensation in accordance with the First Schedule, rehabilitation and resettlement in accordance with the Second Schedule and infrastructure amenities in accordance with the Third Schedule shall apply to all cases of land acquisition under the enactments specified in the Fourth Schedule to the said Act."
