Land acquisition for airport challenged
HC directs Ayodhya DM, two other officials to file reply; Court also asks officials to acquire farmers’ land only after their consent
LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has ordered the district magistrate (DM) of Ayodhya and two other officials to file a reply to a petition by around 100 farmers challenging the acquisition of land at Dharampur Sahadat village for the Shri Ram International Airport in Ayodhya.
A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Saurabh Lavania ordered Ayodhya DM Anuj Jha, sub divisional magistrate (SDM) Jyoti Singh and tehsildar Vijay Kumar Singh to file their affidavits on a petition by around 100 farmers challenging acquisition of the land.
The court passed the order on June 29 in a virtual hearing and directed the officials to file the affidavits within three weeks. According to senior officials of the state government, the replies of all three officials have been finalised and will be filed on time.
In the petition, the farmers have accused the Ayodhya administration of acquiring land without issuing any notification. The petitioners have also accused the Ayodhya administration of pressuring the farmers to sell their land at inappropriate rates.
During the hearing, the court asked the officials to point out under which law the farmers’ land was being acquired.
The court also asked when circle rates were revised the last time.
The court also directed the officials to acquire farmers’ land only after their consent, and not forcibly.
The district magistrate of Ayodhya ruled out any coercive measure for acquiring land.
During hearing of the case, the Ayodhya DM apprised the court that the land will be acquired on the basis of a notification of the state government.
The DM also apprised the court that circle rates are reviewed every year, but it is not necessary that they are increased.
He also assured the court that the farmers’ land would not be acquired forcibly.
The court directed the officials to file their affidavits in three weeks and fixed the next date of hearing after four weeks.
After the Centre sanctioned Rs 250 crore for construction of the Maryada Purshottam Shri Ram Airport in Ayodhya, the Uttar Pradesh government approved Rs 321 crore to purchase additional land for the project.
According to the state government, a total amount of Rs 1001.77 crore has been approved to purchase 555.66 acre of additional land for the construction of the airport.
Also, a budgetary provision of Rs 101 crore has been proposed for the development work at the airport in the state’s budget for 2021-22.