There is hope for the farmers fighting for their rights against the Gujarat government. The farmers had approached the Gujarat High Court to seek remedy against the unjust attitude of the bureaucracy and the government. The authorities had held up the due compensation to the farmers after acquiring their lands 13 years ago. The affected farmers of the Kutch, Banaskantha, and Patan districts will breathe a sigh of relief.
The Gujarat government acquired the lands of several villagers in the districts of Kutch, Banaskantha, and Patan for the construction of the Narmada canal in 2011. The High Court expressed its displeasure over the fact that, despite a period of more than a decade having passed, the award of compensation has not been finalised in full.
The Gujarat High Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Sunita Agrawal and Justice Pranav Trivedi, has directed the government to complete the procedure of awarding compensation to affected farmers in six months. The Court also made it clear that in cases of non-compliance by the government, the farmers shall approach the court again.
In view of the High Court’s stern stand, the government is forced to appoint an internal departmental committee to examine the farmers’ cases on an individual basis. The High Court has directed the government to complete the process without further delay. Those farmers whose lands have been acquired will have to present their cases before the committee in three weeks.
There had been numerous writ petitions from the farmers in Bansakantha, Patan and Kutch districts to the High Court complaining about the government not paying the final award of compensation. the Gujarat government had paid a lump sum amount at the time of acquiring the land and had promised to pay the final compensation at a later stage.
The petitioners accused the government of acquiring the land without complying with the directives of the Land Acquisition Act 1894. The rights of the farmers had been infringed upon by the delay in paying the compensation for such a long period of 13 years by the government.
has ordered the state government to pay compensation to the land owners whose land was acquired by the authorities for the purpose of construction of the Narmada Canal in the Kutch, Banaskantha, and Patan districts.
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