The Rajasthan High Court has dismissed a PIL assailing the action of the respondent authorities in usurping the land of Gram Panchayat Manaklao for the purpose of construction of National Highway without awarding appropriate compensation to the Gram Panchayat.
Petitioner Baldev Ram, claiming himself to be the ex-Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Manaklao, had contended that a significant chunk of land of the Gram Panchayat, which carried a Shamshan Ghat and Talab, besides other things, has been usurped for the purpose of construction of a ring road/highway and no compensation has ever been paid to the Panchayat.
Countering the submissions of the petitioner, a pertinent reply was filed by the respondents that the land for the purpose of construction of highway was procured by proper acquisition.
Furthermore, the parts of Khasra were Government land and thus, no notices were required for the purpose of using such land to construct the highway.
The petitioner did not counter the assertions made by the respondents and the additional affidavits filed on their behalf by way of rejoinder.
No one appeared on behalf of the Gram Panchayat, Manaklao, despite serving of a notice.
In this view of the matter, the Jaipur Division Bench of Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Kuldeep Mathur opined that no public interest was involved in the petition and disposed it off.