Delhi and UP spar over land for Jamia’s expansion

Delhi and Uttar Pradesh are at loggerheads over a piece of land that the Sheila Dikshit government intends to acquire for the expansion of Jamia Milia Islamia University.

Delhi and Uttar Pradesh are at loggerheads over a piece of land that the Sheila Dikshit government intends to acquire for the expansion of Jamia Milia Islamia University.

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On Thursday, the Uttar Pradesh government moved Supreme Court against Delhi Government’s move to acquire 34 acres of land in Okhla.

In an urgent petition filed before the apex court, the Mayawati government has assailed its neighbouring state’s notification to acquire the land worth Rs 2,100 crore. According to UP, the land is being acquired illegally as the vacant plot belongs to its Irrigation Department.

Seeking a stay on the acquisition process, UP claimed that the Delhi government would complete possession formalities by November 21. The petition also sought setting aside of the acquisition proceedings.

The petition denied the Delhi government’s claims that as per 1937 land records, the land belonged to “nazul”, and, therefore Central government was its true owner.

It stated that the UP government wanted to construct an irrigation training institute on the disputed site.

This is the second time the two states are rowing over land. Earlier, the UP government had moved the Supreme Court to stop construction of a road link on its 21 acres of land. The Rs 334 crore project required widening of the road connecting the CWG Village to Noida. The apex court had, however, refused to stay the construction of the link.