Wayanad rehabilitation township work commences following Kerala HC order

Wayanad(Kerala) | Construction work of the township for the Wayanad landslides victims commenced early Saturday morning at the Elstone Estate near Kalpetta here.

The work began a day after the Kerala High Court paved the way for the state government to take possession of the Elstone Estate land, meant for the project, after depositing an additional Rs 17.77 crore.

A Wayanad district administration official said that following the High Court order on Friday, the District Disaster Management Authority held a meeting the same evening and decided to deposit the amount and take possession of the land.

Thereafter, District Collector Meghashree D R and other concerned officials completed all the required formalities during the night, the official said.

A representative of the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), the main contractor of the project, told media here that the construction work has commenced and it will move forward quickly.

"The first thing to be done is to construct a road to the site to expedite the arrival of construction material and equipment," he said.

The state government had already deposited around Rs 26.56 crore in March for taking symbolic possession of the land ahead of the foundation stone laying ceremony of the township.

However, as the companies which owned the land in the Elstone Estate were not satisfied with the amount, the state government agreed to pay an additional Rs 17.77 crore.

Based on the government's submission, the High Court directed it to deposit the amount and then take possession of the land.

While passing the order, the court also said the companies' claims for enhancement of the compensation can be examined further in the proceedings pending before the High Court, but for now the possession of the land has to be granted to the state government to ensure the rehabilitation project is not delayed.

A major landslide struck the Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions on July 30 last year, almost completely decimating both areas.

The disaster left hundreds injured, claimed over 200 lives, and 32 persons remain missing.