Villagers claim land ‘grabbed’ by Haryana,HC issues notices

The petitioners,through their lawyer Deepak Balyan,have alleged that the state,in 2010,issued a notification under the Land Acquisition Act to acquire a total of 3,364 acres for an Industrial Model Township (IMT) at Kharkhoda within the revenue estate of villages located in Sonepat.

Balyan alleged that his clients own houses of 100 square yards each,which are in existence since 1994. The houses were allotted to them by the gram panchayat from the deh land under the government schemes to the landless persons of the backward class.

Acquisition of their houses,Balyan averred,is completely “unjustified and illegal”. The petition,which was filed a fortnight back,further alleged that “despite the fact that the acquisition collector recommended release of the house of the petitioners from the acquisition”,the state authorities went ahead to acquire the same.

In March this year,the state issued a final notification for acquisition and decided to award compensation to the landowners. The petitioners alleged that while land of poor villagers was not released,the influential persons were favoured by the state authorites by releasing their land from final acquisition.

Instances,demonstrating “arbitrary” land acquisition” have been cited by the authorities wherein 81 acres of land belonging to influential persons was released by the authorities. Surprisingly,the said landowners did not even,as alleged by the petitioners,file objections to the land acquisition.

The petitions have alleged that such an acquisition “smacks of arbitrariness and disparity”.

They have also submitted that they do not intend to accept the compensation offered by the state for their land and have demanded that the entire process be quashed. Asking the respondents to file their response,the High Court has also directed the state to maintain status quo on the possession of land belonging to the petitioners.