Thousands of Families Threaten Election Boycott Over Unpaid Highway Compensation
In a dramatic escalation of their long-standing grievance, over 6,400 families in Thiruvananthapuram have declared their intention to boycott the upcoming state assembly elections. This drastic political action is their response to the continued failure of authorities to disburse full compensation for land parcels acquired for the critical Vizhinjam-Navaikulam Outer Ring Road project, designated as National Highway 866.
A Project Mired in Delays and Broken Promises
The Outer Ring Road was conceived as a major infrastructure artery designed to alleviate chronic traffic congestion in the state capital and significantly improve connectivity to the strategic Vizhinjam International Seaport. Despite its importance, the project has been entangled in years of bureaucratic delays and procedural hurdles.
"We are at our wits' end," stated S Chandramohan Nair, convener of the action council representing the aggrieved landowners. "We upheld our end of the bargain by conceding our land in good faith three years ago, expecting prompt payments. Yet, both the state and central budgets have consistently ignored the compensation commitments made to us."
The Core of the Impasse: Environmental Clearance
The primary bottleneck stems from a pending environmental clearance for the project's northern section, stretching from Thekkada to Navaikulam. In a significant setback, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) rejected the initial clearance application. The authority affirmed that for a national highway project, environmental approvals must originate from central authorities, not state bodies. This jurisdictional clarification has thrown the entire compensation process into disarray once again.
While the southern section from Vizhinjam to Thekkada successfully secured its environmental clearance earlier in 2023, the denial for the northern section has created profound uncertainty. This has effectively frozen land acquisition processes and disrupted all construction schedules for that crucial stretch.
Official Response and Landowner Anguish
A senior official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) acknowledged the challenges while attempting to strike a more optimistic note. "We understand the deep urgency and frustration felt by the affected families," the official said. "The detailed project report has been submitted to the Union government for final clearance. We expect environmental and final approvals to be granted soon. Once these procedural milestones are in place, compensation can be processed and disbursed without further legal impediments."
Local residents counter this optimism with stark reality. They argue that despite funds being earmarked and even transferred to the NHAI during previous project phases, the failure to synchronize environmental and procedural approvals has brought all action to a standstill. This bureaucratic limbo has left landowners in a desperate situation, unable to rebuild their livelihoods or utilize their land for essential needs, such as securing loans.
Escalating Threats and a Plea for Justice
Frustrated by years of inaction, the action council has issued a firm ultimatum: full compensation must be delivered by March 15, or they will follow through on their election boycott. The council has also hinted at plans to intensify their protest through legal challenges, sustained demonstrations, and even hunger strikes if the situation remains unresolved beyond the deadline.
The landowners stress that their protest is not an opposition to development itself. "We are not against progress," emphasized a representative from the council. "However, genuine development should not come at the cost of ignored promises and prolonged, unjust hardship for ordinary citizens who sacrificed their land for the public good."
The standoff highlights a critical failure in project management and citizen redressal, turning a promised infrastructure boon into a source of widespread distress and threatening to spill over into the political arena as the election season approaches.
