Chennai-Salem expressway row: HC refuses to restrain govt from acquiring land

The HC has also reportedly posted a writ petition realted to the matter along with connected PILs pending before a Division Bench.

The Madras High Court, which is hearing petitions realted to protests over proposed Chennai-Salem Greenfield Expressway, on Friday refused to pass interim orders restraining the state government from acquiring lands for the project.

The HC has also reportedly posted a writ petition realted to the matter along with connected PILs pending before a Division Bench.

Yesterday (July 5), a fresh petition was filed before the Madras high court opposing proposed Chennai-Salem Greenfield Expressway.

The petitioner, P.V. Krishnamoorthy, a resident of Pappireddipatti taluk in Dharmapuri district, owner of 2.98 acres of land, has filed the petition challenging the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) move to acquire the land for the project, said a Deccan Chronicle report.

Earlier, the high court had admitted two PILs -- one moved by Poovulagin Nanbargal opposing the provisions in the new Land Acquisition Act that allows acquisition of land under the National Highways Act for national highway projects bypassing the mandatory rules for conducting public hearing.

Earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had declared that the 277.3 km long eight-lane greenfield project under the Centre's 'Bharatmala Pariyojana' scheme, will stimulate growth in Tamil Nadu. He had said in the Assembly that the state government had fought for this project and claimed that only 41 acres of forest land would be acquired. He also added that of the 1,900 hectares of land being acquired, 400 hectares belong to the government. He assured that the project would take the form of a tunnel when it passes through forest areas.