What land is being acquired and where
The land is required for the Kannankottai Thervoy Kandigai Reservoir, an irrigation project. All the notified land lies in Tiruvallur district.
The notices cover 1082 survey numbers in 5 villages. Two villages are in Gummidipoondi taluk and three are in Uthukottai taluk.
The acquisition was taken up under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, and the notices were published in the state gazette.
The notices and their stage
Nine notifications were issued. The first is dated 29 May 2013 and the latest is dated 25 November 2013. Eight of them relate to one village each, and the notification dated 15 July 2013 relates to two villages.
Our records show all nine as notifications under the 1894 Act. None is recorded as withdrawn, and none is recorded as corrected later.
Under the 1894 Act, the process ordinarily begins with a preliminary notification under section 4(1), which states that land in a locality is likely to be needed for a public purpose. Owners may then file objections, which are heard before the Government issues a declaration under section 6. After that, the Collector makes an award fixing compensation.
The facts available to us do not show which of these stages each notification represents, whether awards have been passed, or whether possession has been taken. Please confirm the current position with the Collector's office before relying on any assumption.
The villages covered
Kannankottai in Gummidipoondi taluk has the largest share, with 552 survey numbers notified.
Kadarvedu in Uthukottai taluk has 206 survey numbers, and Thervoykandigai in Gummidipoondi taluk has 161.
Senjiagaram in Uthukottai taluk has 88 survey numbers, and Thamaraikuppam in Uthukottai taluk has 75.
No survey numbers in any of these villages are recorded as withdrawn. These 5 villages are the complete list in our records for this project.
What to do if your land is listed
First, check whether your exact survey number and subdivision appear in the gazette notification for your village. A village appearing in the list does not mean every field in it is affected.
Next, visit the office of the Collector, Tiruvallur, or the Land Acquisition Officer handling this project. Ask for the current stage of the notification covering your survey number, whether an award has been passed, and whether compensation has been deposited or paid.
If you are buying land in any of these villages, ask the seller for an encumbrance certificate and current revenue records, and verify the survey number against the notifications. Land under acquisition carries a serious risk for a buyer, and a sale deed does not stop the acquisition.
The Land Acquisition Act, 1894 was later replaced by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. That Act has transition provisions that can affect acquisitions begun under the old law, so take advice from a lawyer on how it applies to your land.