Full bench to decide if states can settle land acquisition disputes

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday referred a crucial legal query,over whether state governments are empowered to constitute high powered committees to decide disputes of land acquisition cases under the Land Acquisition Act,to a Full Bench (Bench comprising of three or more High Court Judges). The question was raised by a division bench headed by Justice Hemant Gupta during the resumed hearing of a petition filed by one Ram Murti Sareen,resident of Sonepat. The petitioner had challenged a “faulty” order by a high powered committee constituted by the Haryana government.