Kottayam: Even after the Kerala government decided to step back from the SilverLine project, land acquisition notices remain in force, keeping landowners in the proposed region in a state of limbo.

The project had earmarked 1,221 hectares of land, with notifications issued on August 18 and 30 October 2021, neither of which has been officially withdrawn.

Much of the yellow survey stones laid on the land for the project had been removed by residents. Despite this, landowners are still unable to carry out transactions, including availing bank loans.

The Revenue Department’s LA (Land Acquisition) wing said that acquisition procedures won’t be pursued and financial institutions have been informed that the land carries no liability. Officials suggested that a decision to withdraw the notifications could come soon.

Public activist Babu Kuttanchira said that Madappally Cooperative Bank officials informed that as notifications are still valid, legality is preventing them from approving loans. Meanwhile, M.T Thomas, who fought legal battles over land ownership, added that clarity on the status of properties is still pending. 

60 cases still pending

Protests against yellow stones on private land have left 60 cases unresolved, including 11 in Madappally alone. The charges involve obstructing government officials, damaging public property, unlawful assembly, violating COVID regulations, and assaulting police.

Some cases relating to COVID regulation violations have been dismissed or settled with fines. For cases pertaining to removal of stones, a penalty of Rs 5,000 for each stone was slapped.

According to the Anti-SilverLine People’s Forum, many residents, including women, continue to receive court summons even “for just standing outside the house”. The Forum Convenor S. Rajeevan said some cases initially registered under the name “unidentifiable persons” are later amended to include the actual residents before issuing summons.