The archaic Land Acquisition Act 1894 has now come under the scanner of the Supreme Court. The Court has for the first time asked the Centre and all states to furnish their responses on a petition raising question on the clause of "public purpose" besides posing other challenges to provisions of the said Act.

The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan, acting on a public interest petition filed by an association of landless farmers of Karnataka, issued notices to chief secretaries of all states besides seeking response from the Union Ministries of Commerce and Agriculture.

The petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution has raised a rather crucial question as to what constitutes the "public purpose" citing which the Government is authorised to acquire large pieces of agriculture land, owned and acquired by farmers and cultivators under provisions of the statute under question.

The petitioner has thereby challenged the legality and constitutional validity of the sections including Section 3(f), 4 and 6 of the said Act, which authorises the Government to acquire land under the guise of "public purpose" terming it as unconstitutional and violative of the Articles 14 (Right to Equality), 19 (1) (g), 21 (Right to life and personal liberty) besides others rights enshrined in the

Constitution.

The petitioner asked the Bench, also comprising Justice R V Raveendran and Justice H S Bedi, for a direction to the Government and all states from going ahead with the acquisition proceedings of the agricultural land.

... contd.