Kerala HC directs MoRTH to finalise approval for Vizhinjam-Navaikulam Outer Ring Road project

The Kerala High Court has issued directions to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to conclude the approval process for the Vizhinjam-Navaikulam Outer Ring Road project, considering the ‘serious hardship’ of the owners of the land acquired for the project.

The court, on June 23, granted 45 days to V. Umashankar, the secretary, MoRTH, to finalise the approval proceedings, directing that there should be earnest efforts to alleviate the hardship of the landowners and disburse the compensation for the acquired land as soon as possible.

Mr. Umashankar appeared before the Single Bench of Justice C. Jayachandran and provided a chronology of events, citing the reasons for the delay. The matter is now pending before the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for environmental clearance and before the Ministry of Finance for financial sanction. Upon receipt of these approvals, the matter will be placed before the Cabinet for consideration, he said.

The petition was filed by the Vizhinjam ORR Land Owners Welfare Movement, alleging that no compensation had been paid to the owners of the land acquired for the project, even though the acquisition was formally declared in 2023.