SC issues notices to centre, UP govt on Dadri

SC issues notices to centre, UP govt on Dadri

BS Reporter / New Delhi January 8, 2008

The Supreme Court today issued notices to the central and Uttar Pradesh governments on a petition challenging the acquisition of land in Dadri reportedly for development by Reliance Energy Generation.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, asked the petitioner, Sahayog Samiti, to drop the name of Reliance from the petition in view of the forthcoming IPO of the company.

This is the second petition challenging the land acquisition on the ground that the government was acquiring fertile land of poor farmers at cheap prices and giving it to corporates.

There were also violation of the rules like the mandatory provision for an inquiry by the collector to seek alternative land, it was argued. The government  has also invoked the urgency clause (Section 17) of the Land Acquisition Act declaring that the land was required for public purpose.

The farmers had demanded market price of Rs 300 per square yard, but the government allowed only Rs 150 leading to protests and law and order problems in the seven affected villages.

Though BSP had promised to inquire into the whole affair after coming to power in the last elections, it had not done anything in this direction, the petition said.

The Karnataka Landless Farmers