What land is being acquired for the Mannargudi Ring Road and where
The Mannargudi Ring Road is a state road. Land for it is being acquired under the Tamil Nadu Highways Act, 2001, and the notices have been published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette.
All the land notified so far lies in Mannargudi taluk of Thiruvarur district. The notices cover 54 survey numbers spread over 8 villages.
Because this is a state road, the National Highways Act, 1956 does not govern this acquisition. There are no section 3A or section 3D notices for this project, and owners should not look for them.
The notices and their stage
There are seven notices in all. Six are acquisition notifications, dated 8 January 2021, 28 February 2022, 2 March 2022, 21 April 2022, 16 May 2022 and 25 May 2022. The seventh, dated 13 March 2023, is an errata, which corrects details in an earlier published notice for one village.
Under the Tamil Nadu Highways Act, 2001, the State Government acquires land for a highway by publishing a notice under section 15(1) in the Gazette, stating that the land is required for the highway. On publication of such a notice, the land vests in the Government free from encumbrances. This is different from the 2013 Act, where a preliminary notification is followed later by a separate declaration.
None of the seven notices has been withdrawn. The record available here shows the notices only. It does not show whether compensation awards have been passed, whether amounts have been paid, or whether possession has been taken. Those points must be confirmed with the land acquisition office of the Highways Department or the Thiruvarur District Collectorate.
Mannargudi Ring Road land acquisition villages list
Pamani has the largest share, with 25 survey numbers notified. Asesham follows with 11 survey numbers and Ramaapuram with 8.
Movanallur has 4 survey numbers notified. Aravattur and Kailasanatharkovil have 2 survey numbers each. Gopiralayam and Neduvakkottai have 1 survey number each.
All eight villages are in Mannargudi taluk, Thiruvarur district. No survey number in any of these villages has been withdrawn from acquisition.
What to do if your land is listed
First, confirm the exact survey number and subdivision. A survey number may be listed only in part, so read the extent shown in the Gazette notice against your patta, chitta and FMB sketch. If the 2023 errata relates to your village, read it together with the original notice, because it may change the details.
If your land is listed, the Government's claim over the notified extent arises from the Gazette notice itself. Keep your title documents, patta, encumbrance certificate and bank details ready, and approach the land acquisition officer for the project to register your claim for compensation.
If you are buying land in any of these villages, ask the seller for the survey number and subdivision and check them against every notice for this project before you pay any advance. Land that has vested in the Government cannot be validly sold by the earlier owner. A clean encumbrance certificate alone is not enough, because a Gazette notice may not appear in it.
If you think your land has been wrongly included, or the extent or owner details are wrong, raise it in writing with the land acquisition officer promptly and keep proof of submission. For a dispute over title or the compensation fixed, take advice from a lawyer on the remedies available under the Act.