What land is being acquired and where
The land is required for the Chennai MRTS Extension from Velachery to St Thomas Mount. This is a rail project.
All the land listed lies in Chennai district. It falls in two taluks, Alandur and Sholinganallur.
In all, 191 survey numbers across 4 villages appear in the notifications. A survey number being listed means some or all of that land is proposed for acquisition. The notification itself will show the subdivision and extent affected.
The notices, the law and the present stage
All 7 notices were issued under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and published in the Tamil Nadu state gazette. They are recorded as notifications. Our record does not say which section of the Act each one was issued under.
The dates are 11 February 2011, 28 November 2011, 25 January 2012, 21 February 2012, 11 October 2012, 16 October 2012 and 30 October 2012. The notice of 21 February 2012 covers two villages. Each of the others covers one.
Under the 1894 Act, the process usually starts with a preliminary notification stating that land is likely to be needed. Owners may then file objections. A declaration follows, and the Collector later holds an inquiry and passes an award fixing compensation.
None of the 7 notices has been withdrawn, and none is recorded as corrected later. Our record does not show whether awards have been passed or possession taken. Confirm this with the Land Acquisition office before relying on any assumption.
Villages covered
Adambakkam, in Alandur taluk, has 91 survey numbers listed.
Alandur Town (Adambakkam), in Alandur taluk, has 39 survey numbers listed.
Madipakam 1, in Sholinganallur taluk, has 32 survey numbers listed.
Alandur Town (Adampakkam), in Alandur taluk, has 29 survey numbers listed.
Alandur Town appears twice, under two spellings of Adambakkam. If your land is in Alandur Town, check both entries.
What to do if your land is listed
Get a copy of the gazette notification that names your village. Match your survey number and subdivision with your patta, chitta and the sale deeds in your chain of title.
Contact the Special Tahsildar or District Revenue Officer handling land acquisition for this project, or the Collectorate, Chennai. Ask whether an award has been passed for your survey number, and what amount was fixed.
If you are buying land in these villages, ask for an encumbrance certificate and a written confirmation from the taluk office in Alandur or Sholinganallur that the survey number is not under acquisition. A seller cannot pass clear title to land that has vested in the Government.
Where the facts are disputed or the delay is long, take advice from a lawyer who handles land acquisition matters. Older proceedings under the 1894 Act may be affected by the newer central law that replaced it, depending on whether an award was made and compensation paid.