HC to impose cost, order probe over denial of land to war

Expressing displeasure over Maharashtra government not allotting land to a war widow despite repeated assurances, the Bombay High Court today said it would impose costs on authorities and order an inquiry against the concerned officials.
Hearing a petition filed by 72-year-old Indira Jadhav, whose husband was martyred in 1965, a division bench of justices Abhay Oka and A S Chandurkar said it would pass an order tomorrow.
The judges said they will impose costs on the concerned authorities who had failed to allot Jadhav a 10-acre plot in Ratnagiri district even after giving multiple assurances to her in the past and despite letters from the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and the Army Chief.

"We will pass the order imposing costs and also direct the government to conduct an inquiry against the officers who have failed to act all these years," Justice Oka said while keeping the petition for orders tomorrow.
The Collector of Ratnagiri, who was personally present in the court, said they had allotted a land to Jadhav in Ratnagiri city but wanted her to pay the market price of Rs 47,000 as per 2001 rates.
Additional government pleader Molina Thakur told the court that the current market rate of the land was around Rs 30 lakh.
Irked by their contention, the judges said the allotment should be made free of cost. "At the most, you can allot land at the rate of 1998 as per the government resolution. You can't charge her 2001 market rates," said justice Oka.