What land is being acquired and where
The project is the widening of the Tiruchengode to Erode Road, numbered State Highway 79. It is a state road, so the acquisition is being carried out by the Government of Tamil Nadu under the Tamil Nadu Highways Act, 2001. It is not a National Highways Act acquisition.
The notified land lies in Namakkal district, across two taluks, Kumarapalayam and Tiruchengode. In all, 118 survey numbers in 3 villages appear in the notifications.
The notifications identify land by village and survey number. A survey number being listed does not always mean the whole survey number is taken. Often only a strip along the existing road is required, so the extent shown against each survey number in the Gazette matters.
The notices and their stage
Seven notifications have been published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette under the Tamil Nadu Highways Act, 2001. The first is dated 14 August 2020. The others are dated 18 September 2020, 9 July 2021, 30 November 2021, 8 August 2022, 29 May 2023 and 13 February 2024, which is the latest.
The 18 September 2020 notification covers two villages. Each of the other six covers one village. Since there are only 3 villages in total, some villages appear in more than one notification, usually because further survey numbers were added later.
None of the seven notifications has been withdrawn, and none is recorded as having been corrected later. The acquisition therefore stands as notified.
Under the Highways Act, a Gazette notification is the Government's formal statement that the listed land is required for the highway. It begins the acquisition process for that land. Compensation is then determined by the land acquisition authority under the Act. The published notices do not show whether compensation has been fixed or paid, or whether possession has been taken, for any particular survey number. Those facts must be confirmed with the authority.
Villages covered
Kadachanallur, Kumarapalayam taluk, Namakkal district: 56 survey numbers. None withdrawn.
Pallipalayam, Kumarapalayam taluk, Namakkal district: 32 survey numbers. None withdrawn.
Thokkavadi, Tiruchengode taluk, Namakkal district: 30 survey numbers. None withdrawn.
These 3 villages are the complete list in the notifications. No other village is covered.
What to do if your land is listed
Owners should get a copy of every notification that names their village. Check whether their survey number and subdivision appear, and note the extent shown. Compare it with the patta, the field measurement sketch and the actual position on the ground.
If your land is listed, contact the land acquisition office handling the project, through the Namakkal District Collectorate or the Highways Department. Ask about the stage reached for your survey number, the compensation award and the documents you need to submit. Keep your title documents, patta and encumbrance certificate ready to prove ownership.
Buyers should check every one of the seven notifications before buying land in these villages, particularly land fronting the road. If the survey number is listed, the part shown in the notification is not available for sale. Any compensation for that part goes to the person entitled under the Act, so the sale agreement should deal with this expressly.
If the extent or survey number in the notification appears wrong, raise it in writing with the authority promptly. Take advice from a lawyer on your remedy, because the time available to act may be limited.