APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) has completed the process of acquiring 100 acres of land in Vilappilsala for establishing its permanent campus.
District Collector Geromic George handed over the land documents pertaining to 52 cents of land from the last landowner Sylvester Cholur to KTU Vice-Chancellor in-charge Saji Gopinath. The function was presided over by Syndicate member I.B. Satheesh, MLA, and attended by Syndicate member I. Saju, Registrar A. Praveen, and other officials.
The government had issued the first notification for the land acquisition in June 2020. Fifty acres of land were acquired in the first phase by disbursing compensation by December 2022. Baby Jones, special officer, who oversaw the efforts, said the process was completed in record speed.
According to KTU officials, the construction of the administrative block will commence in two months. The Thiruvananthapuram Engineering Science and Technology (TrEST) Research Park will be constructed near the KTU campus. The facility has been envisaged on the lines of the IIT Madras Research Park. Fifty acres had been acquired from 68 land owners at a cost of ₹190 crore for the purpose. The initial phase involved the acquisition of 50 acres from 136 land owners at a cost of ₹184 crore.
