The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a directive to the Punjab government to accelerate the handover of land for the completion of national highway projects, including the critical Delhi-Katra Expressway. In a recent hearing, the court expressed concern over the significant delays caused by the non-transfer of lands and the ensuing obstructions affecting projects deemed of national importance.
Justices Sureshwar Thakur and Kuldeep Tiwari ordered the state to resolve all obstacles, such as pending statutory notifications and arbitration cases, within two weeks. They emphasized that no unnecessary interference should hinder these projects, which are vital for boosting the state’s economy.
The directive followed revelations that, despite the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) depositing substantial funds with local authorities, several parcels of land had not been completely transferred to the NHAI. Senior Advocate Chetan Mittal, representing the NHAI, highlighted the ongoing issues with certain disruptive elements using unlawful means to impede the authority’s possession of the land.
The court also provided NHAI with the legal recourse to report any unlawful obstructions directly to the police commissioner of the respective district, ensuring that the encumbrance-free possession of the land is secured.
Further, the court warned that it would take appropriate actions against any officials found to be deliberately obstructing the process if these issues are not resolved by the next hearing date.
The court’s stern directive comes after an earlier order three months ago, where the Punjab chief secretary was tasked to ensure the transfer of land within two months. However, despite some progress—reducing the pending possession from 268.52 km to 113.47 km—nearly 99.24 km of land remains pending for transfer, with 78.42 km ready to be handed over immediately.
The NHAI also cited specific instances of obstruction, including a local villager in Tarn Taran who has been hindering the construction of a bridge pile, with repeated requests for intervention from local police being ignored.
