The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to provide land to a family displaced by the construction of the Koyna Dam, marking a significant resolution 65 years after their land was originally taken. The family of Waman Ganpatrao Kadam had lost their land in 1960 during the dam’s construction and faced decades of delays in receiving the promised rehabilitation.
A division bench consisting of Justices MS Sonak and Jitendra Jain issued the order on Friday, mandating that the government allot alternative plots to the Kadam family within six months. The family, comprising two sons and two daughters of Waman Kadam, currently resides in Koyna Velhi, a settlement for families displaced by the dam in Satara district.
The court’s decision came after acknowledging that an initial allotment of 1.6 hectares in Panvel in 2017 was unjustifiably canceled in January 2019. The government cited reasons such as uneven land and existing constructions on the site, but the court found these justifications inadequate.
The saga began when Waman Kadam’s 13.37 hectares of agricultural land in Velhe village was acquired by the state with promises of compensation or alternative land, which remained unfulfilled for decades. The family’s plight was intermittently addressed with temporary solutions that failed to materialize into permanent resettlement, leading them to approach the high court last year through advocate Poonam Bodke Patil.
Justice Sonak and Justice Jain expressed dissatisfaction with the state’s handling of the case, criticizing the bureaucratic delays and red tape that prevented the family from receiving their due rights. They emphasized that the family’s entitlement under state policy to alternate land was not disputed and that the continuous deferral of their case was unjust.
The court also warned that the Secretary of the Revenue Department would be held personally responsible if the state failed to comply with the court’s directives. A compliance report has been ordered for submission by August 30.
