Land acquisition: SC upholds Gujarat HC orders directing state to pay extra to farmers

Dismissing a plea by the Gujarat authorities, the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld two orders by the Gujarat High Court directing to pay greater compensation to farmers in Bharuch and Gandhinagar whose lands have been acquired for nationwide freeway enlargement.
The HC orders of September and October 2019, directing the state authorities to use a multiplying issue of two.00 as an alternative of 1.00 and recalculate the compensation payable to farmers, have been challenged by the Gujarat authorities within the Supreme Court. It was dismissed by a three-judge bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Subhash Reddy and MR Shah.
In Bharuch, the lands have been acquired for the development and widening of Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway below the National Highways Act, 1956, whereas in Gandhinagar it was for the enlargement of Ahmedabad-Delhi freeway.
Speaking to The Indian Express, advocate Anand Yagnik, who was representing the villagers on the SC together with senior advocate Kapil Sibal, mentioned that the locus standi to problem the excessive court docket order on the apex court docket was basically with the National Highways’ Authorities of India and never the state authorities.

It is estimated that affected farmers in Gandhinagar will probably be eligible upto Rs 200 crore further fee and Bharuch farmers will probably be eligible for a further fee of Rs 300 crore.
In 2019, the Gujarat HC quashed and put aside two authorities resolutions — one in every of 2016 and one other of 2018 —holding them unlawful because it violated the constitutional assure of equality earlier than the regulation.
The 2018 GR had resolved that areas falling below “Urban Development Area” and “Area Development Authority” shall not be thought of as city areas, however was held to be extremely vires, unlawful and unconstitutional within the context of Gujarat RFCTLARR Rules, 2017 and the Act of 2013 as amended by the state.