Haryana gets SC notice on land takeover

The Supreme Court yesterday sought a response from the Centre and the Haryana government on a petition, seeking its directions to restrain the state government from acquiring 2,700 acres of land for a township in Rohtak.

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre and the Haryana government on a petition, seeking its directions to restrain the state government from acquiring 2,700 acres of land for a township in Rohtak.

HT Image

A bench of justices JM Panchal and HL Gokhale issued notices to the Union ministry of environment and forest, Union ministry of urban development and the Haryana government on a petition filed by Bharat Bhoomi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, an NGO.

The NGO said the agricultural land, which is “one of the most fertile land of India”, was being acquired for the proposed township, while barren land was available in a nearby area.

“Though there was a barren land which was available in the same tehsil Rohtak, most suitable for the purpose of acquisition for establishing the township, the government has tried to acquire huge tracts of arable land surrounding the same,” said Ramesh Dalal, NGO president.

The HSIIDC had acquired about 1,800 acres of land in Rohtak in 2006-08 for the first and second phase of the project.