SC quashes UP govt`s land acquisition for leather industry

The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed Uttar Pradesh government`s notifications for acquiring villagers` land in Ghaziabad district for setting up a leather city there.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed
Uttar Pradesh government`s notifications for acquiring
villagers` land in Ghaziabad district for setting up a leather
city there.

A bench of justices G S Singhvi and H L Dattu set aside
the state government`s notifications, issued in 2006 and 2007,
for acquiring the land for the leather industry.

The court said it was wrong on the part of the government
to acquire the land without hearing the objections of the
owners by invoking the urgency provision under Land
Acquisition Act.

"The respondents (government authorities) are not
justified in invoking the urgency provisions of the Act,
thereby, depriving the appellants(owners) of their valuable
right to raise objections and opportunity of hearing before
the authorities in order to persuade them that their property
may not be acquired," the bench said.

The court passed the order on petitions filed by
villagers and farmers challenging the state government`s
decision to acquire their land for setting up the industry.

The villagers had approached the apex court challenging
two notifications issued by the state government on July 3,
2006, and on December 18, 2007, for acquiring the land for a
planned development of the Leather City Project.

The acquired land was situated at village Imtori,
Chitoli, Sabli of Hapu Pargana in the district of Ghaziabad.

"The court should take judicial notice of the fact that
certain schemes or projects, such as the construction of the
Leather City Project for public purpose, which contemplate the
development of residential, commercial, industrial areas, by
their intrinsic nature and character require the investment of
time of a few years in their planning, execution and
implementation.

"Therefore, the land acquisition for said public purpose
does not justify the invoking of urgency provisions under the
LA Act," the bench said.

PTI

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