Meet on outer ring road ends without breakthrough
The meeting, which brought together the NHAI regional officer, project director and district collector, was expected to resolve long-pending compensation disbursal to landowners who surrendered land for the project.
Sources confirmed that NHAI regional officer A K Janbaz informed the state govt that the Centre's recommended alignment change can only be finalized in Dec 2025, further delaying the project. This comes on top of existing setbacks, frustrating more than 6,000 families across 24 villages who have been waiting for compensation.
Despite the state transferring Rs 700 crore to NHAI nearly a month ago, not a single rupee has reached landowners.
District collector Anu Kumari urged NHAI to release compensation at least in areas that had received a 3D notification, but the agency expressed dissent.
Meanwhile, landowner representatives, angered by repeated delays, warned of intensified protests. In July, they had threatened hunger strikes to press for action.
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"The state govt and NHAI are doing nothing. We will intensify our protests," said action council convener S Chandramohan Nair, pointing out that the delay has left many families in deep distress. Delays are rooted in environmental and procedural roadblocks. A Supreme Court ruling in May 2025 invalidated post-facto environmental clearances, while the state environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA) lapsed in March, transferring approval responsibilities to the Union ministry.
As a result, the northern stretch, from Thekkada to Navaikulam, remains without clearance, though the southern segment received approval in 2023.
An RTI filed by landowner and legal expert K Raveendran Nair revealed no progress on the project's detailed project report (DPR) for the past two years. A 2023 RTI had disclosed the same status, raising questions about transparency and accountability.
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