The Allahabad High Court has sought response from the district administration till June 29, on the allegations of forcibly taking people’s land for the airport being built in Ayodhya and forcing them to register at a low cost.
The division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Saurabh Lavania passed this order on June 23, while hearing a petition filed by Panchram Prajapati and Others.
The petitioner submitted that without any acquisition or without their consent, who are bhumidhars of their land and houses thereon, falling in Daramdaspur Shahadat village, Tehsil Sadar, District Ayodhya, their land is being encroached for the construction of an Airport, in gross violation of their right to property, as also to be treated in a fair and reasonable manner.
The provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 are also not being followed.
“There is no criteria fixed as to how the lands are to be acquired or the same are to be purchased. There is no guideline regarding the rate of purchase. Therefore, the District Authorities are acting in an arbitrary manner. The allegation is also of forcibly compelling the petitioners to sell their land at an inadequate rate,” the petition said.
The Court directed, “Let the respondents appear before the Court on June 29 and put forth their factual version in the light of the averments made in the writ petition as to whether the land of the petitioners has been acquired, if not, whether it has been purchased.
“If the land is being purchased en-masse, whether there are any guideline or criteria laid down for the said purpose, as to at what rate the land would be purchased and how the consideration would be paid,” it added.
The Bench ordered that the Additional CSC shall send requisite link for joining of the aforesaid Officers for Video Conferencing from their place of posting, if they so choose, or they may join the Additional CSC at Lucknow, as per their wish. The Officers shall also apprise the Court, as to when the circle rate was last revised.
“Needless to say that if the land of the petitioners has not been acquired, they cannot and would not be compelled to sell their land, unless they consent to it”, the Court said and fixed the next hearing of the petition on June 29.