Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday allowed the government to acquire land owned by Elstone Tea Estate Limited to rehabilitate people displaced by multiple landslides at Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Wayanad. The division bench issued the order while settling the estate owner's plea challenging the acquisition of their land under the Disaster Management Act. In the order, the state government has been asked to deposit ₹26.56 crore in the registry as compensation to Elstone Estate owners.

The cabinet meeting held on March 17 decided to give ₹26,56,10,769 compensation to Elstone Estate Limited for the land acquired under the Disaster Management Act.

The division bench, headed by Justice Nitin Jamdar asked the government to complete the rehabilitation project on a war footing basis.

A detailed High Court order on the acquisition of Elstone Estate is awaited.

The state government has decided to acquire 78.73 hectares of land owned by Elstone Estate in Kalpetta to construct a modern township for landslide survivors. While conceiving the rehabilitation project, the government had initially planned to acquire 65.41 hectares of an estate owned by Harrisons Malayalam Ltd. at Nedumbala. However, the government has postponed the acquisition of the Nedumbala estate, as only 215 out of 430 families opted for houses. The majority of the beneficiaries chose financial aid of ₹15 lakh instead of a house in the township.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will lay the foundation stone of the township in Elstone Estate on March 27.