Kottayam Municipality ignores land spared by Railways for Anganwadi
Kottayam Municipality is facing intense criticism from local residents for neglecting a prime plot of land spared by the Railways for the construction of an Anganwadi near Nagampadam. While Indian Railways accommodated the civic body's requests during the track-doubling project years ago, the
Kottayam Municipality is facing intense criticism from local residents for neglecting a prime plot of land spared by the Railways for the construction of an Anganwadi near Nagampadam. While Indian Railways accommodated the civic body's requests during the track-doubling project years ago, the
Kottayam Municipality is facing intense criticism from local residents for neglecting a prime plot of land spared by the Railways for the construction of an Anganwadi near Nagampadam. While Indian Railways accommodated the civic body's requests during the track-doubling project years ago, the
Kottayam Municipality is facing intense criticism from local residents for neglecting a prime plot of land spared by the Railways for the construction of an Anganwadi near Nagampadam. While Indian Railways accommodated the civic body's requests during the track-doubling project years ago, the municipality’s persistent inaction has left the land overrun by dense weeds and wild vegetation.
The plot in question is situated on the roadside along the stretch from Nagampadam bridge to Panayakkazhippu. Before the land acquisition process for the railway line expansion, this site housed a municipal night shelter and a cultural centre, which also hosted the local Anganwadi. When the Railways took over the land, local residents and municipal officials had appealed for a small portion to be left untouched to accommodate the nursery school. Obliging their request, the railway authorities excluded this portion from their final acquisition plans.
A legacy of apathy
Despite the Railways completing its track-doubling work years ago, the municipality has shown no initiative to clear the weeds, build a boundary wall, or construct the proposed Anganwadi. Local residents complain that the valuable plot has now turned into an eyesore and a breeding ground for pests, defeating the very purpose of the collective campaign that saved the land in the first place.
Unclaimed compensation worth crores
This failure to build the Anganwadi is not the only instance of municipal inertia surrounding the project. The Railways had acquired 0.1709 hectares of municipal land for the track-doubling work, for which a compensation of approximately ₹6.7 crore was awarded. However, the Kottayam Municipality is yet to receive this money.
Currently, the compensation remains deposited with the Kottayam Additional District Court (Special). The civic body filed a petition in court seeking a higher compensation amount, which is still pending resolution. Compounding the delay, the municipality has reportedly failed to produce the necessary land ownership documents in court to establish its claim and secure the funds.