Gujarat HC dismisses challenge to land acquisition for Bullet Train Project

The Gujarat High Court has dismissed various petitions filed by farmers and landowners challenging land acquisition for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project..The verdict was delivered today by a Bench headed by Justice AS Dave. Hearing in the matter had concluded last January. The Bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy (who has since been elevated to the Supreme Court) and Justice VM Pancholi had initially begun hearing petitions filed by five farmers challenging the land acquisition last year. In due course, over 1,000 more farmers filed affidavits objecting to the land acquisition..The petitioners had approached the High Court registering their objection to the acquisition of their land for a bullet train project as well as an express way project under the land acquisition law as amended by the State Gujarat..The petitioners had claimed that they were entitled to more compensation under the Central Land Acquisition Act, 2013. Further, they had also challenged the validity of the Gujarat amendment to the land acquisition law, which had diluted provisions of the Central law concerning consent of the landowners, social impact assessment and rehabilitation measures..The bullet train project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017, in partnership with Japan. The project was expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 1.10 lakh crore. It is reported that around 1,400 hectares of land will be acquired in Gujarat and Maharashtra for the project. Around 6,000 landowners will have to be compensated..Feature image courtesy: TOI.[Read Judgment]