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• Speeding up the land acquisition procedures for the Kochi Metro project, the district administration will take over land from MG Road shopkeepers starting next week. District collector PI Sheik Pareeth said authorities have reached a consensus with the land owners on compensation and price of land. "Shop owners on MG road have agreed to surrender their land for road widening without any protest. Initially there were public grievances and agitations against road widening in this stretch, which we have resolved every concern amicably," said Pareeth.

• Special tahsildar for land acquisition for Kochi Metro project Ittimani George said that about 42 shop owners on MG Road would be affected. "After discussions with shop owners and the district administration, we have arrived at a tentative figure of Rs 34 lakh for a cent of land on MG Road. The rates will be finalized after the district level purchase committee meeting next week," he said adding that "We expect that the land acquisition process to be completed within a month." The land acquisition department has initiated procedures for acquiring land in Banerji Road too starting from the High Court Junction to Madhava Pharmacy Junction. "Survey and alignment works on this stretch have been completed. We are waiting for the district administration's nod so that we can finalize the compensation and complete the procedure," said the special tahsildar.

• Meanwhile, the land acquisition procedures for widening the Vyttila-Petta stretch have come to a standstill following public protest against the decision to acquire 30 metre of land instead of the proposed 26 metre. "Initially the plan was to acquire 30 metre of land along the Vyttila-Petta stretch, which was later reduced to 26 metre after people agitated. But Kochi Metro Rail Limited wants to obey the state government's directive that cites 30 metre. We have convened a meeting with their officials to take a final decision in this regard," said the collector.

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