Kerala - Alappuzha   

Agitators block NHAI officials at Ambalapuzha

ALAPPUZHA: Tension prevailed at Valanjavazhi near Ambalapuzha here on Wednesday after police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse protestors who were agitating against the acquisition of land for the expansion of National Highway — 47.

The agitation, which has been gaining momentum over the last couple of months, on Wednesday saw a joint action council taking out a protest march from Ambalapuzha against the National Highway Authority of India's attempts to acquire land for the expansion of NH 47.

The march was intended to stop officials engaged in measuring of land near Valanjavazhi, where the Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi had already called for a hartal from 6 a.m. on Wednesday, also to protest against the acquisition. The officials had to face protest from a few housewives too, as they attempted to measure land near a private plot near the S.N. Junction. The protestors joined the housewives and blocked the officials from continuing with the process.

With the joint action council, which comprised representatives of the Ekopana Samithi, various political organisations and of some religious places of worship in the area, not relenting to the officials' request to allow them to continue with the work, police intervened and had to resort to a mild lathi charge to disperse the agitators.

Seventeen men and four women were arrested in connection with the protest and were let off on bail in the evening. The JAC has been alleging that the acquisition was not being done in an impartial manner, with the land of certain influential persons, including a hotel at Thottappally, being exempted from the process.

The council's demand is that the acquisition should be done on an equal measure on both sides of the road, though the NHAI's contention is that this is not possible since such acquisition would affect the alignment of the road.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Agitators block NHAI officials at Ambalapuzha

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu