12.43 crore compensation not paid: Sub Court issues notice to seize two acres of land used by Collectorate

KOLLAM: The Kollam Sub Court has issued a notice to seize about two acres of land where the Kollam Collectorate is working. The court action is following the government's failure to pay the Rs 12.43 crore compensation ordered by the High Court to acquire private land for the Bus Terminal cum Shopping Complex project. The court proceedings are in a compensation case related to the acquisition of land owned by K. Ravindranath Nair on the Kollam Thirumangalam road opposite the Supplyco petrol pump near Chinnakada.

When it was a municipality, the Kollam Corporation had acquired 1.13 acres of land belonging to Ravindranath Nair for a project. The municipality decided to transfer the other nearby lands acquired along with Ravindranath Nair's land to the railways in exchange for the railway land near the Kollam East Police Station to implement the Bus Terminal Cum Shopping Complex project. The compensation for the land acquired from Ravindranath Nair was fixed at Rs. 1.13 crore at that time. The landowner filed a petition in the Kollam Sub Court against this, and the compensation was increased to Rs. 8 crore.

The landowner approached the High Court, saying that the compensation awarded by the Sub Court was less, but the corporation argued that it was more. The High Court increased the compensation to Rs 12.43 crore. The landowner filed a petition in the Kollam Sub Court, seeking implementation of this judgment. The Kollam Sub Court initiated proceedings to recover the money by confiscating the Collectorate after the government was not ready to deposit the compensation amount awarded by the High Court. The government has initiated legal proceedings to withdraw the confiscation proceedings and stay the High Court verdict.