COMPENSATION
FOR LAND ACQUIRED: The
Government of Kerala acquired land for widening roads as part of construction
of Phase I of Kochi Metro from Aluva to Petta. The maximum compensation given
was 52 lakh rupees/cent in Banerji Road and M.G. Road at Ernakulam and 29 lakh
rupees/cent in Petta area at Poonithura. The land owners are satisfied with the
compensation given to them.
Did the owners of adjacent lands surrender
any portion of their land free of cost for the initial formation of these
National Highways and State Highways? Are they paying any luxury-tax on their
property? The main reason for the escalation of price of land in the Kochi city
limits is only due to the huge investments made by the government for
infrastructure development of National Highways and State Highways, Bridges and
Railways. At the time of formation of these roads, these adjacent land-owners
received compensation and now when additional lands required for the Kochi
Metro was acquired they were given another compensation (lottery) from the
government exchequer.
UNEXPECTED
HARDSHIPS CAUSED TO TENANTTS OCCUPYING BUILDINGS AQUIRED FOR KOCHI METRO: Some of the land-owners got double lottery
when the poor tenants occupying their dilapidated buildings and paying
reasonable rent too were forcibly evicted from their premises. They are also
getting a further advantage of the new infrastructural investments – Kochi
Metro - for their remaining properties.
Many of the tenants occupying such building
and premises were forcibly evicted and they were divested of their livelihood.
Many of them have taken business loans from banks and other financial
institutions; they are forcibly thrown into debt traps and dragged into
litigations in court. Did the government compensate those hapless tenants at
least on humanitarian grounds? It is also pertinent to note that many of these
tenants have taken various cash credits and term loans for their business from
banks and other financial institutions and they have been pushed into debt
traps and dragged into litigations in court, for no fault of theirs. Why the governments
fail to issue an ordinance, a moratorium on their loans?
IMPACT
OF DEVELOPMENTAL SCHEMES ON TRADERS: Certain policies or developmental schemes of the government might land
the debtors/loanees of banks and other financial institutions into great
hardship, financial trouble and jeopardy. For instance, the central and the
state governments ventured into the Kochi Metro Project and prohibited parking
of vehicles on M.G. Road at Ernakulam and a few other areas on the route. The
parking prohibition badly affected the business transactions and many of the
business concerns lost their customers too. Some of the affluent businessmen
shifted their business to NH-66/544 (old NH-47) and other new shopping malls
located at Edappally and Vyttila. The poor sections in the business community
are reeling under this inconvenience caused to them. The central and state
governments should see that the banks should rephrase their loan installments
reasonably for a longer period to enable them to repay their loans and/or the
government should declare a moratorium on the loans otherwise the debtors and
their families would face hard times.
IMPOSE
LUXUARY-TAX: It is
pertinent to note that the main beneficiaries on either side of National
Highways or State Highways or other commercially important roads are not paying
any luxury-tax for enjoying the benefits of such NH- Highways and State
Highways and Kochi-Metro. Therefore, the government is fully justified in
imposing reasonable luxury-tax, proportionate to their advantage, on land
owners in the city limits. Imposition of luxury-tax would encourage people to
work hard. Those who cannot afford to pay luxury-tax will be forced to transfer
their properties. Properties in the city limits should change hands, creating
opportunities for new entrepreneurs which would bring prosperity for the
nation.
Excerpts from
NEED OF THE HOUR
By
Joseph
J. Thayamkeril,
Lawyer,
Cochin
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
josephjthayamkeril.google.com
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