SC clears HUDA's Kalka-Pinjore project on acquired land

The Supreme Court has cleared the hurdles in development of a residential project in 673.29 acres of land in Panchkula district of Haryana, which had been kept on halt by it for nearly eight months.

A bench of justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya, dismissed the plea challenging the Haryana government's decision to acquire the land and vacated the stay on construction of HUDA's Kalka-Pinjore urban complex project by various developers.

The apex court said it will not go into the issue of legality of the land acquisition as the only argument made before the Punjab and Haryana High Court was related to the competence of the district revenue officer (DRO) to perform functions of a collector and no other issue was considered and decided by the high court.

"In the result, the special leave petitions (SLP) are dismissed. The interim orders stand automatically vacated. As a sequel to dismissal of the SLPs, all pending interlocutory applications are disposed of as infructuous," the bench said.

The plea by a group of landowners and villagers had opposed a 2008 declaration of the state government, notifying acquisition of 809 acres of land in villages Bhogpur, Nangal Sodia, Islam Nagar, Bhagwan Pur and Mirapur Bakshiwala of Panchkula district in Haryana.

The acquired land was granted to real estate developers, including DLF and IREO, for residential projects of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

Under the HUDA project, 31 new sectors are to be developed covering residential, commercial and industrial areas, on both sides of National Highway 22 between Pinjore and Kalka.

The landowners had first moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the acquisition alleging that District Revenue Officer K K Amrohi, who had been given the additional charge of Land Acquisition Officer (LAO), Panchkula was not entitled to perform the functions of Collector under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 and recommend acquisition of their land.

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