What land is being acquired and where
The acquisition is for widening the Nanguneri to Uvari Road, State Highway 89. It is a state road project, so the land is taken by the State Government under the Tamil Nadu Highways Act, 2001, and not under the National Highways Act.
The notices cover 122 survey numbers in 8 villages. All of them are in Tirunelveli district, spread over three taluks: Nanguneri, Radhapuram and Thisayanvilai.
Most of the affected land is in Radhapuram taluk. Appuvilai alone accounts for 62 survey numbers, followed by Thisaiyanvilai with 33 and Muthumothanmozhi with 19.
The notices and their present stage
Three notifications have been published in the State Gazette under the Tamil Nadu Highways Act, 2001. The first, dated 10 August 2015, covers 7 villages. The second, dated 6 November 2015, covers 1 village. The third and latest, dated 4 July 2023, covers 1 village.
Under this Act, the Government acquires land for a highway by publishing a notice in the Gazette under section 15(1) stating that the land is required. The Act provides that, on publication of such a notice, the land vests in the Government free from encumbrances. Compensation is then determined by the competent authority under the Act. Owners should treat a published notice as a serious step and not as a mere proposal.
None of the three notices has been withdrawn, and none is recorded as corrected later. The records available here do not show whether compensation has been paid, whether possession has been taken, or whether the widening work is complete. Those points must be confirmed with the land acquisition office for highways in Tirunelveli district.
Villages covered by the notices
Radhapuram taluk: Appuvilai (62 survey numbers), Thisaiyanvilai (33), Muthumothanmozhi (19), Karaisuthu Uvari (2) and Kuttam (1).
Nanguneri taluk: South Vijayanarayanam (3 survey numbers) and South Nanguneri (1).
Thisayanvilai taluk: Kumarapuram (1 survey number).
Note that the village of Thisaiyanvilai is listed under Radhapuram taluk, while Thisayanvilai is also the name of a separate taluk. Check the taluk shown in your patta before matching your land against the notice.
What to do if your land is listed
First, get the exact Gazette notification that names your village and read the survey number and subdivision list. A match on the survey number alone is not enough. Check the subdivision and the extent shown against your patta, chitta and FMB sketch, because often only a strip along the road is taken.
Second, if you are an owner, contact the land acquisition office handling highways for Tirunelveli district, usually through the District Collectorate, and ask for the status of your survey number: whether the award is passed, the compensation determined for your extent, and whether possession is recorded. Keep your title deeds, patta and Encumbrance Certificate ready, as these are needed to claim compensation.
Third, if you are a buyer, do not rely on the seller's word. Compare the survey number and subdivision with the notification, check whether the revenue records show any portion transferred to the Highways Department, and obtain a fresh Encumbrance Certificate. Land that has vested in the Government cannot be validly sold by the earlier owner, and the compensation right for an acquired portion usually stays with the person who owned it on the date of the notice unless the sale deed deals with it expressly.
If you believe your land was wrongly included or the extent is wrong, take advice from a property lawyer promptly, as the remedies and time limits depend on the stage the acquisition has reached.