Land acquisition for KTU HQ gets under way

Documents of 50 acres being handed over to varsity by 136 landowners

The land acquisition for a permanent campus of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) at Vilappilsala in the capital got under way on Thursday. Land documents of 50 acres are being handed over to the university by 136 landowners during the exercise.

According to Vice Chancellor M.S. Rajasree, land records were received from 51 families. The relevant documents will be collected from the remaining 85 families within a month after the approval of the detailed assessment report by the government.

Kattakada MLA, I.B. Satheesh, who presided over the programme, said an amount of ₹184 crore would be disbursed among the land owners. The compensation will be deposited in their bank accounts within a week of acquisition.

Compensation will also be distributed for houses and other assets in accordance with the rates fixed by the Public Works department. Besides, the payment for trees on the acquired land will be made on the basis of rates fixed by the Rubber Board, the Forest and the Agriculture departments.

Mr. Satheesh said the compensations had been fixed for land parcels classified into five categories depending on various parameters. While a rate of ₹4.65 lakh was fixed for land in the A category, ₹4.22 lakh and ₹3.38 lakh were the rates in the B and C categories respectively. Land owners will receive compensation at the rates of ₹2.74 lakh and ₹1.06 lakh for land that come within the D and E categories respectively.

Those who stood to lose their houses will receive ₹4.6 lakh additionally, while land owners who surrendered their houses and cattle shed will receive ₹5.1 lakh in addition to the land rates.

The KTU headquarters will be established at an estimated outlay of ₹1,000 crore, out of which ₹405 crore will be utilised in the first phase of development, said Mr. Satheesh.