Initiates land acquisition proceedings without depositing 25% acquisition cost
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Perhaps for the first time in recent times the government has initiated land acquisition proceedings without the acquiring department depositing 25 per cent of the acquisition cost in respect of the NIT project at Cuncolim.
Though the Revenue Department has started the land acquisition proceedings to acquire 6.09 lakh sq mts of land at Cuncolim to set up a permanent campus of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), the acquiring department, Directorate of Technical Education, has till date not deposited the acquisition money with the EDC.
Herald inquiries with the Revenue Department revealed that the land acquisition proceedings started without depositing of the acquisition cost following a sanction granted by the government.
The total cost of the land acquisition is pegged at a whopping Rs 37 crore, calculated at the rate of Rs 400 per sq mtr. Fifty per cent of the acquisition cost works out around Rs 18.5 crore, sources in the revenue department stated, adding that the acquiring department will have to deposit the amount before the publication of section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act.
Sources in the know said the government sanction to initiate the land acquisition proceedings indicates the government’s determination to set up the NIT project in Cuncolim. An official pointed out that the acquisition proceedings have commenced even before the acquiring department depositing the amount indicates that the government does not want to loose time in acquiring the land in question before the project is set up on the acquired land.
Instances are galore that many a land acquisition proceeding in the past could not commence for want of the acquiring department depositing the acquisition cost with the EDC.
Incidentally, Herald inquiries have further revealed that the land acquisition department has initially worked out the acquisition cost to Rs 160 crore, calculated at the rate of Rs 1,700 per sq mtr, but the rate was brought down to Rs 400 per sq mtr after calculating the land value afresh.
CMC resolves
against project
MARGAO: The Cuncolim Municipal Council on Thursday has formally lodged its objection to the proposed National Institute of Technology (NIT) project in Cuncolim.
Registering its strong objection to the NIT project before the Deputy Collector, Land Acquisition, on Thursday, Cuncolim Municipal Chairperson Devendra Desai submitted the Council resolution opposing the NIT project.
He informed the Deputy Collector that the Council has resolved to oppose the proposed NIT project on ground that the government should not go ahead with the land acquisition for the project without answering the pack of questions raised by the Council members.
He said the Council had raised a host of queries including the benefits of the NIT project accruing for the local youth, whether the government has worked out a package for reservation of jobs and seats for the local youth. The CMC Chairperson has requested the land acquisition officer to clarify all the queries before going ahead with Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act.
