VIJAYAWADA: The district administration has issued a notification for acquisition of land for widening the first stretch of Mahatma Gandhi Road (Bandar Road) to 120 feet. The notification, dated May 12, listed 94 properties in all, including three in the second stretch, with the total area to be acquired coming to 10,254 square feet.

But the extent of land to be acquired from these properties varies, ranging from as little as 14.66 square feet (an open passage) in one case to 317.46 square feet (vacant site) in another.

The notification has been issued in the name of District Collector Navin Mittal who is the land acquisition officer under the relevant Act. But the authority to deal with the issue has been delegated to Special Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition) in Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTM-UDA) D. Sudarshanam. The notification has placed the authorities on a firm legal footing, insulating them from the criticism that they are taking away land without adequately compensating the owners. The authorities have been compelled to follow the legal procedure in the face of stiff resistance from elected representatives and owners of structures on the first stretch to widen the road to 100 feet.

The High Court's strictures on Municipal Commissioner Natarajan Gulzar in a case of contempt of court also made the authorities veer round to the view that it is safe to follow the due process of law.

`Last opportunity'

But the idea appears to show the notification "as the last available opportunity" to the owners of first stretch to come to negotiating table and surrender the land for widening to 100 feet as was done by landlords on the other two stretches.

" There is still some room for negotiations . With the issuance of notification, no transaction on any of the property listed can take place," Mr. Mittal said on Tuesday.

He hoped that landlords in the first stretch would take a cue from the high value sale of lands in the widened portions of the second and third stretches and voluntarily give away land.

Draft declaration

Mr. Mittal expressed confidence that legal hurdles -- in the form of stay orders - were unlikely, as due process of law was being followed strictly.

The procedure stipulates that a draft declaration can be published only after hearing all kinds of objections, which can pertain to the extent of land mentioned therein and so on.

All of this can drag on for about six months. If all owners come forward for settlement of compensation amount by way of negotiation, a consent award will be passed, which will bar them from moving a court of law.

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