News: Decks Cleared For Dwarka Expressway Completion As HC Disposes Of Plea-22.03.2017
Decks cleared for Dwarka Expressway completion as HC disposes of plea
Abhishek Behl Hindustan Times Updated: Mar 21, 2017 22:25 IST
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday directed the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) to settle claims of landowners, whose property has been acquired to develop Sector 110 A for rehabilitation of Dwarka Expressway oustees, within one month, while disposing of the petition.
The court order will allow the Huda to start the rehabilitation of oustees and the completion of the Dwarka Expressway, also known as the Northern Peripheral Road. The claims of petitioners will have to be settled by the Huda under the Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) Policy of 2010.
To resolve the legal issue, the Huda agreed to formulate a special package or give alternative plots to the nine petitioners led by Satyendra Singh. Under the R&R policy, the authority can give alternative plots to oustees, whose land has been acquired for development of sectors.
Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav said they will look at the legal status of the land, and, thereafter, send recommendations to the state government for a final resolution. “We will also settle the SPA/GPA issue by April 10,” he said.
The failure to rehabilitate the oustees in Sector 110 A had been delaying the completion of the 18.4-km highway incessantly. It has already missed several deadlines and the project was expected to be completed in 2010.
The high court decision also means the stay granted on the allotment of alternative plots to the GPA/ SPA holders will be vacated as it was clubbed with the petition filed by Satyendra Singh in September 2012. The petitioner had alleged that the urban authority failed to give compensation or alternative plots to the original land owners, while it was giving plots to GPA/ SPA holders, who had no original title of the ownership.
Singh has been demanding the release of 44 marlas of land in Sector 110 A which has been acquired by the Huda. His contention was that several plots were released by the government, and his land should be released too.
The high court had stayed the process of rehabilitation of oustees after Singh’s petition. However, on Tuesday, the court directed the Huda to resolve the issue within two months so that the work on the long-delayed project could be restarted.
Yadav said as per directions of the court, the authority will now settle the claims of petitioners under the R&R policy, and final terms of settlement agreed with the oustees in May 2015. “The petition has been disposed and it is a major boost as the Dwarka Expressway that has been stalled at a crucial junction can now be completed. The issue of GPA/SPA holders can now be settled as the stay on their rehabilitation has been vacated too,” Yadav said.
As per Huda records, 568 applicants from New Palam Vihar, Chauma and Kherki Daula had applied for rehabilitation. As many as 212 people were found to be eligible for alternative plots as per the rehabilitation policy. While the Huda had settled the claims of 148 oustees who had original titles, the court order now paves way for rehabilitation of the GPA/SPA holders too.
