What land is being taken for NH 47 and where
The notices concern land acquired for National Highway 47. They are issued under the National Highways Act 1956 and published in the central gazette.
The land lies in two districts, Coimbatore and Kanniyakumari, across 7 taluks: Agasteeswaram, Kalkulam, Killiyoor, Madukarai, Sulur, Thovalai and Vilavancode.
In all, the notices list 521 survey numbers in 38 villages. A survey number appearing in a notice does not always mean the whole field is taken. Often only a part of a subdivision is needed for the road, so the extent shown against each survey number in the notice must be checked.
The notices and their stage
Under the National Highways Act, acquisition runs in two main steps. A notice under section 3A declares the intention of the Central Government to acquire the land. Any person interested in the land may file objections under section 3C within 21 days of the publication of that notice, and the competent authority hears them.
The second step is a declaration under section 3D. Once a 3D declaration is published, the land vests absolutely in the Central Government, free from all encumbrances. If no 3D declaration is published within one year of the 3A notice, the 3A notice ceases to have effect.
For NH 47 there are 7 notices in this record. Two are section 3A notices: one dated 19 September 2019 covering 30 villages, and one dated 29 December 2020 covering 13 villages.
The other 5 are section 3D declarations: 19 July 2010 (1 village), 24 May 2013 (3 villages), 9 January 2014 (1 village), 20 August 2020 (30 villages) and 14 September 2021 (12 villages). The earlier 3A notices that preceded the declarations of 2010, 2013 and 2014 are not part of this record.
No notice in this set has been withdrawn or corrected. Because 3D declarations have been published, the land covered by them stands vested in the Central Government. This record does not show whether compensation has been paid or whether possession has been taken, and it does not show the progress of road work.
NH 47 land acquisition villages list
Coimbatore district: In Sulur taluk, 36 survey numbers are listed in Neelambur. Ten survey numbers are listed in Kittampalayam. In Madukarai taluk, 19 survey numbers are listed in the village of Madukarai. Eight are listed in Ettimadai.
Kanniyakumari district, Agasteeswaram taluk: Theroor (36 survey numbers), Putheri (33), Therekalputhoor (29), Kaniyakulam (13), Kulasekarapuram (13), Kottaram West (10), North Thamaraikulam (10), Eraviputhoor (6) and Kottaram East (3).
Thovalai taluk: Thiruppathisaram (37), Aralvoimozhi South (30), Veeramarthandanputhoor (28), Thovalai (24) and Kumarapuram (8).
Kalkulam taluk: Nullivilai A (16), Aathivialai (12), Thiruvithancode (11), Villukkuri B (9), Villukkuri C (9), Chadayamangalam (8), Marthurkurichi (8), Nullivilai B (5), Kappiyarai B (3), Mulagumoodu (3), Valvachakostam B (3) and Aloor B (1).
Killiyoor taluk: Kulapuram (39), Athencode (14), Methukummal (2) and Adaikakuzhi (1).
Vilavancode taluk: Nattalam A (11), Vilathurai (10), Kollenchy (2) and Nattalam B (1).
What to do if your land is listed
First, obtain the gazette notice for your village and match it against your patta, chitta and the subdivision number on the FMB sketch. Check the extent notified against your survey number, not only the number itself.
If a 3A notice covers your land and the 21 day period for objections has passed, the objection stage is over. Your remaining remedy lies in the compensation process.
Compensation under the Act is determined by the competent authority for land acquisition, usually a Deputy Collector or Special District Revenue Officer appointed for the project. Owners are called to file their claims with proof of title. Today the principles of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 apply to compensation under the Highways Act. If either side does not accept the amount, the matter can go to an arbitrator appointed by the Central Government.
For a buyer, land covered by a 3D declaration already belongs to the Central Government. Do not buy any part of a listed survey number until you have confirmed, from the gazette and from the competent authority, exactly which portion is affected. Ask the seller for written proof of any compensation already received for that portion.