Allahabad HC scraps land acquisition in Greater Noida

In yet another setback to Mayawati Government in Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad High Court on Monday quashed acquisition of 170 hectares of land at Gulistan village in Greater Noida for industrial development.

The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justice Sunil Ambawani and Justice Kashi Nath Pandey on a petition filed by landowners and farmers challenging the government notification for land acquisition issued on September 5, 2007 under section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act depriving the aggrieved persons of filing their objections on the ground that the matter was urgent.

The declaration of the acquisition was made on February 27, 2008, about more than five months.

The court rejected the contention that there was any urgency and said the landowners have to be given an opportunity for hearing by filing their objections.

This was the third time that the HC has set aside land acquisition in Greater Noida where the farmers are up in arms against UP government's land acquisition demanding adequate compensation for their land and had clashed with police earlier this month.

On May 12 and May 15, the HC had quashed acquisition of more than 170 hectares in Gautam Budh Nagar district.