Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 12: The High Court today directed the authorities to take steps for acquisition of land for road widening from Dalgate to Hazratbal so that the project that was started a decade ago is not delayed any further.
Having a glance on the status report which revealed that the compensation provided to the owners from whom land has been acquired have approached to various Courts and due to pendency of these cases and passing of orders therein, the authorities were not able to proceed ahead in the project of road widening.
In the connection, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sanjeev Kumar directed the authorities to move appropriate proceedings for early disposal of these cases so as to ensure that process of acquisition is expeditiously completed and the project of road widening is not further hampered.
A status report has been filed before us giving the above details. “On perusal we find that a reference has been made to several pending cases before the Courts. However, a majority of the cases relate to the amount of compensation. In a few cases, there appears to be disputes inter-se the owners, family disputes and partnership disputes pending before the Courts. In other cases, orders of status quo have been set out.”
Court said, it appears that the road widening has been effected only to the extent that land was acquired by the authorities. “A status report regarding the filing of applications and fate thereof shall be placed before us on next date of hearing”, the DB directed.
The instant Public Interest Litigation related to the ongoing road widening programme in the city of Srinagar from Dalgate to Hazratbal, which commenced way back in the year 2009-10.
It was by previous order that the Deputy Commissioner (land acquiring authority) was directed to give specific details about the steps taken for acquisition of the land, release of compensation, taking over of possession of the required land as well as status of the availability of funds for compensation.
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