What land is being acquired for NH 38 and where
The notices concern land required for National Highway 38. They have been issued by the Central Government under the National Highways Act 1956 and published in the central Gazette.
In all, 1052 survey numbers are listed across 15 villages. The land falls in Tiruvannamalai district, in Tiruvannamalai and Cheyyar taluks, and in Thoothukkudi district, in Ottapidaram taluk.
A notice may list a whole survey number or only a subdivision or part of it. The extent shown against each entry in the Gazette is what matters, so read the entry against your own survey and subdivision number and not just the village name.
The notices and their present stage
There are 6 notices in total. Three are notifications of intention under section 3A, dated 19 March 2025 (11 villages), 11 September 2025 (13 villages) and 17 October 2025 (1 village).
The other three are declarations under section 3D, dated 16 March 2026 (11 villages), 8 June 2026 (12 villages) and 24 August 2026 (1 village). None of the 6 notices has been withdrawn, and none is recorded as corrected later.
A section 3A notification states that the Central Government intends to acquire the land described. Any person interested in that land may file objections to the competent authority under section 3C within 21 days of the publication of the 3A notification. The competent authority hears the objector and then passes an order.
A section 3D declaration is the final step in the acquisition itself. Once it is published in the Gazette, the land described in it vests absolutely in the Central Government, free from encumbrances. Possession can then be taken under the Act.
Compensation is a separate stage. Under section 3G the competent authority determines the amount payable. If either the landowner or the government does not accept that amount, it may be referred to an arbitrator appointed by the Central Government. The facts available here do not include any compensation award, so the status of payment for a particular survey number must be confirmed with the competent authority.
NH 38 land acquisition villages list
Tiruvannamalai taluk, Tiruvannamalai district: Adaiyur (247 survey numbers), Enamkariyanandal (224), Melathikan (137), Adiannamalai (101), Atthiyandal (95), Devanandal (48), Nallanpillaipettral (40), Muniyandal (18), Veluganandal (18), Kaveriyampoondi (7), Samuthiram (7), Kizhanaikarai (2) and Seelapanthal (1).
Cheyyar taluk, Tiruvannamalai district: Kilathur (86 survey numbers).
Ottapidaram taluk, Thoothukkudi district: Eppodumvendran (21 survey numbers).
No survey numbers in any of these villages have been withdrawn from the acquisition.
What to do if your land is listed
First, obtain a copy of the relevant Gazette notification and check your exact survey and subdivision number and the extent listed. Compare it with your patta, chitta and the FMB sketch from the taluk office.
If your land appears only in a section 3A notification and the 21 day period has not run, you may file written objections to the competent authority under section 3C. Once that period has passed, or once a section 3D declaration has been published for your land, the land stands vested in the Central Government and the question becomes one of compensation.
Keep your title documents, encumbrance certificate, revenue records and proof of any structures, trees or wells on the land ready. These are needed when the competent authority calls for claims while determining compensation.
If you are a buyer, do not purchase a listed survey number without first checking the notices. After a section 3D declaration, the seller cannot pass good title to the acquired portion. Ask for the Gazette references in writing and have the file checked before paying any advance.