Supreme Court directs NOIDA CEO to pay compensation awarded to dispossessed landowners

The Supreme Court on Friday directed New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) to issue a cheque for payment of compensation as per its previous order dated January 2021 this year (Nayan Tara v. Ritu Maheshwari)..A Division Bench of Justices Rohiton Fali Nariman and BR Gavai passed the order while hearing a contempt petition against the NOIDA CEO for wilful and deliberate non-compliance of this Court’s earlier order directing it to pay compensation to dispossessed landowners within eight weeks, at the rate of Rs. 20,000 per square meter..It was argued by the petitioners that NOIDA was deliberately depriving them of their rights. The Court noted in its order passed on January 20,“Given the checkered history of the present matter, it is submitted that the Respondent/Contemnor is again making an attempt to defeat the vested rights of the Petitioners by deliberately not-complying with the directions passed by this Hon’ble Court and delaying the justice to which the Petitioners are entitled under law.”.The petitioners submitted that after the order was passed, they made a representation to NOIDA detailing the compensation awarded and their bank details on January 28, but did not receive a response to the same.Another representation made by the petitioners on February 22 was also ignored..The NOIDA CEO, on the other hand, submitted that the cheque was issued by them in the name of “Nayan Tara” as per the Court’s records..Based on the petitioners’ submission, the Court dismissed the contempt petition, while directing the cheque to be issued in the name of “Naintara Bhati”..The petitioner landowners were led by Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria and Advocates Sanjay Sarin, Mohit Paul, Pratyush Miglani and Nikhil Varma.The NOIDA CEO was represented by Advocate Ravindra Kumar..[Read Order Here]