What land is being acquired for NH 785 and where
The acquisition is for NH 785, a national highway. The land lies in Dindigul and Madurai districts, in Natham taluk and Madurai North taluk.
The notices on record list 865 survey numbers across 21 villages. Some villages have a large number of survey numbers listed. Others have only a handful.
The acquisition is under the National Highways Act 1956. All notices were published in the central gazette, because land for a national highway is acquired by the Central Government.
The notices and their stage
There are 22 notices in all. The first was published on 15 February 2018 and the latest on 21 January 2021.
Some are notices under section 3A. A section 3A notice states that the Central Government intends to acquire the land described in it. Once it is published, any person interested in the land may file objections under section 3C within 21 days. The competent authority hears those objections and decides them.
The other 13 are declarations under section 3D. A section 3D declaration is the decisive step. When it is published in the Official Gazette, the land described in it vests absolutely in the Central Government, free from all encumbrances. After this, the competent authority can take possession under section 3E.
The Act also provides that if no section 3D declaration is published within one year of a section 3A notice, that notice ceases to have effect. Whether a particular survey number has reached the declaration stage must be checked against the notices themselves.
None of the 22 notices has been fully withdrawn. The record does not show any notice that was corrected later.
NH 785 land acquisition villages list
In Natham taluk, Dindigul district, the villages are Lingavadi (113 survey numbers), Reddiapatty (110), Sathampadi (101), Natham (65), Pudur (44), Chellappanayakkanpatty (33) and Idayapatty (1).
In Madurai North taluk, Madurai district, the villages are Kadavoor (65 survey numbers), Sirudhur (61), Chettikulam (60), Thiruppalai (60), Kannanenthal (58), Chathirathondaimanpatti (28), Manthikulam (16), Manjampatti (15), Alathur (13), Sinnapatti (8), Athikulam (5), Kodimangalam (3), Madurai Corporation(N) (3) and Periyapatti (3).
No survey numbers have been withdrawn in any of these villages.
What to do if your land is listed
First, confirm the exact survey number and subdivision in the gazette notice. A survey number may be listed only in part, so check the extent shown against your patta and the FMB sketch.
Next, find out whether your land is covered only by a section 3A notice or also by a section 3D declaration. If a declaration has been published, the land already vests in the Central Government, and you cannot pass good title to a buyer for the acquired portion.
Compensation is determined by the competent authority under section 3G of the Act. If either party does not accept the amount, it can be referred to an arbitrator appointed by the Central Government. Keep your title deeds, patta, encumbrance certificate and tax receipts ready, because payment goes to the persons shown to be entitled.
For the current position on award and payment, approach the competent authority for land acquisition for NH 785 or the taluk office concerned. A buyer should do the same before purchasing any land in these villages near the highway alignment.