Thu Jun 26 10:16:49 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a rewritten news article:

**Summary:**

The Kerala High Court has ruled that displaced traders from national highway development projects must receive compensation of ₹2 lakh each. The ruling comes after a 15-year legal battle by traders who were forced to vacate their businesses in Kannur between 2013 and 2017 during highway widening, and were initially excluded from compensation packages. The court has given the government 12 weeks to implement the order, which applies state-wide. Trader representatives have expressed relief, noting the hardship faced by those displaced and the previous lack of government support.

**News Article:**

**Kerala High Court Orders Compensation for Highway Project-Displaced Traders**

**Kannur, Kerala – June 26, 2025:** In a landmark ruling hailed as a major victory for small business owners, the Kerala High Court has mandated that traders displaced by national highway development projects receive ₹2 lakh in compensation. The ruling, issued on June 11, 2025, comes after a 15-year legal battle waged by affected traders in the Kannur district.

The case centered around nearly 2,000 traders who were forced to vacate their establishments between Karivellur and Muzhappilangad during the widening of the national highway between 2013 and 2017. While landowners and building owners received compensation, the traders themselves were initially excluded.

V.M. Suganan, secretary of Kerala Samasthana Vyapari Vyvasayi Samithi, stated at a press conference that the High Court’s decision marks the culmination of years of advocacy by the traders and a dedicated committee. He noted that a 2017 government order promising ₹2 lakh, plus additional expenses, per trader had never been implemented.

“This is a huge relief for the traders,” said K.V. Unnikrishnan, convenor of the action committee. “The government cited a lack of funds while paying large sums to landowners and building owners, ignoring the severe hardship faced by the traders and their families.”

The High Court has given the state government 12 weeks to implement the compensation order, which is applicable state-wide for those affected by land acquisition for national highways between 2013 and 2017.

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