Land Acquisition in Ayodhya: Court Orders Status Quo and Refuses to Commence Arguments
A division bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla passed an order on a batch of 11 writ petitions related to land acquisition in Ayodhya.
- The court directed all parties, including the state government and district authorities, to maintain the status quo at the sites in question.
- The matter has been posted for further hearing on Thursday.
During the proceedings, the bench observed that the matter has been pending for a long time and unwarranted adjournments would not be appropriate.
Key Points:
- If the state or the housing body fails to advance arguments on the next date, they may file written submissions instead.
- The court deemed it appropriate to stay the acquisition process initiated under notifications issued in 2020 and thereafter.
The petitioners argued that proceeding under the Uttar Pradesh Awas Evam Vikas Parishad Act 1965 would deprive landowners and farmers of enhanced benefits offered under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
According to the petitions, the 2013 law offers significantly higher compensation and additional safeguards such as rehabilitation, resettlement and social impact assessment.
The bench observed prima facie that acquisition under the 1965 Act appeared less beneficial compared to the 2013 law, leading to the decision to stay the acquisition process.