What land is being acquired for NH 4 and where
The notices concern land required for NH 4, a national highway. They have been issued under the National Highways Act 1956 and published in the central gazette, that is, the Gazette of India.
In all, 1844 survey numbers in 34 villages are named. The villages fall in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts.
The taluks concerned are Aminjikarai, Chetpet, Kancheepuram, Katpadi, Nemili, Poonamallee, Sriperumbudur, Walajah and Walajapet.
Most of the affected survey numbers lie in Walajah taluk of Ranipet district and Katpadi taluk of Vellore district. Smaller extents are affected in villages nearer Chennai, in Poonamallee, Sriperumbudur and Kancheepuram taluks.
The notices and the stage of acquisition
There are 32 notices in all. The first was published on 16 June 2010 and the latest on 13 August 2026. Of these, 14 are declarations under section 3D. The rest are notifications under section 3A.
A section 3A notification is the notice of intention. It states that the Central Government intends to acquire the land described, with brief particulars of the survey numbers. Once it is published, officers may enter the land to survey it, and anyone with an interest in the land may file objections under section 3C within 21 days of publication.
A section 3D declaration comes after objections are heard and decided. On publication of the declaration, the land vests absolutely in the Central Government, free from all encumbrances. The Act also provides that if no declaration is published within one year of the section 3A notification, that notification ceases to have effect.
The most recent activity is a section 3A notification dated 8 June 2026 covering 10 villages, followed by a section 3D declaration dated 13 August 2026 that also covers 10 villages. An earlier round saw a section 3A notification dated 10 January 2023 covering 13 villages and a section 3D declaration dated 10 October 2023 covering 13 villages.
No notice has been fully withdrawn, and none has been marked as corrected later. Whether a particular survey number has reached the declaration stage must be checked against the specific notices for that village.
Villages and survey numbers affected
Ranipet district, Walajah taluk: Anandalai (280 survey numbers), Sikkarajapuram (220), Chettithangal (140), Ammananthangal (132), Narasingapuram (111), Vanapadi (108), Manthaangal (67), Ammoor (58), Katteri (25), Karai (15) and Kadapperi (12).
Ranipet district, Nemili taluk: Kondapuram (23), Perumpulipakkam (4), Sirukarumpur (3), Avalur (2) and Ocheri (1).
Vellore district, Katpadi taluk: Thiruvalam (196), Eranthangal (126), Serkadu (110), Mutharasi Kuppam (78) and Gugaiyanallur (1). Vellore district, Walajapet taluk: Chennasamudram (9), Maniyampettu (2) and Thandalam (2).
Kancheepuram district: Keelambi in Kancheepuram taluk (28), a further village in Kancheepuram taluk (14), and in Sriperumbudur taluk, Pennalur (12), Sriperumbudur (7) and Selvazhi Mangalam (1).
Tiruvallur district, Poonamallee taluk: Vanagaram (14), Arimandanallur (11) and Poonamallee (3). Tiruvannamalai district, Chetpet taluk: Narasingapuram (7). Chennai district, Aminjikarai taluk: one urban village (22).
Note that there are two villages named Narasingapuram on this list, one in Walajah taluk and one in Chetpet taluk. Always match the taluk and district, not only the village name.
What to do if your land is listed
First, confirm the survey number and subdivision. A notice may cover only part of a survey number, so compare the extent stated in the notice with your patta and the field measurement sketch.
Find out which notice covers your land and whether a section 3D declaration has followed. If only a section 3A notification has been published, the window for objections under section 3C runs for 21 days from publication. If a declaration has been published, the land has vested in the Central Government and the focus shifts to compensation.
Compensation is determined by the competent authority for land acquisition notified for the area, under section 3G of the Act. Owners and other interested persons are called upon to state their claims. If you do not accept the amount determined, the Act allows either party to apply to an arbitrator appointed by the Central Government.
Keep your title documents, patta, chitta, adangal extracts and encumbrance certificate ready, as these are used to establish who is entitled to receive compensation.
If you are buying land in any of these villages, ask the seller for the survey number and subdivision, and check them against these notices before you pay any advance. Land that has vested under a section 3D declaration belongs to the Central Government, and a private sale of it will not give you title.