Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 19: In a decision that has brought cheers to about 60 families, the city corporation here has taken a decision to drop 11.59 acres of land which was brought under the ambit of land acquisition during the second phase for the proposed bus stand near Pumpwell here. This land is found to be in excess of the current requirement.

These families were facing an uncertain future since the last about nine years since the city corporation announced its decision to acquire their land. The latest decision was taken at the standing committee on development's meeting held under the leadership of its chairman, Ravoof, which was chaired by city mayor, Kavita Sanil, on Tuesday July 18.

Initially, 11.5 acres of land was acquired for the new bus stand near Pumpwell in the first phase. The district administration had notified this land for bus stand and approved the plan. In 2008, the city corporation decided to additionally acquire 11.59 acres of land situated by the side of the above land. As the plan and design for the proposed bus stand was limited to the land acquired in the first phase, compensation had not been released to the owners of land proposed to be acquired additionally. As the land was mentioned in government files as belonging to the corporation, poor families residing in this land were unable to do any development works or dispose off their lands, nor did they receive any compensation.

At a meeting held under the leadership of district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai, and deputy commissioner of the district, A B Ibrahim, in 2014, it was decided to drop the second phase of land acquisition. City corporation sources said that the burden of compensation for this land, which has welled to Rs 30 crore from the initial Rs 19 crore, will be a huge burden for the exchequer and also additional land is not needed for the bus stand project. A decision to vest the land back to the families, which have been repeatedly pleading for the same, was taken accordingly, they stated.

The above decision, which was taken amid opposition from some members, needs to be approved by the general session of the corporation council.