KOCHI: The High Court has announced that 78.73 hectares of land in Elstone Estate can be acquired for the rehabilitation of victims of the Mundakai-Churalmala disaster in Wayanad. The government must deposit an additional Rs 17 crore for this, which will be added to the Rs 26.51 crore already deposited.

With the approval for land acquisition, the construction of the model township can commence. The estate owners can claim the amount under conditions set by the High Court Registrar. This decision is part of an interim order issued by a division bench, including Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S. Manu, in an appeal from Elstone Tea Estate requesting higher compensation. The estate's appeal for increased compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, will be addressed later.

Earlier, the government had received approval to begin township construction by depositing Rs 26.51 crore in the High Court. Elstone Tea Estate argues that the value of the 78.73 hectares of land is Rs 549 crore, making the compensation insufficient. The government explained that the amount was calculated based on records of ten recent land transactions in the same village. It also stated that if the court orders it, it is prepared to determine fair value and provide compensation accordingly.