The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday issued directions to the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) to provide alternate lands to the oustees of the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) project in a week’s time.
The alternate lands will be provided to the oustees who are having the general power of attorney (GPA/SPA).
The work on the proposed elevated road over the Dwarka Expressway was stuck because of resettlement of the GPA holders. Now, with the court’s order, the work may start soon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was already due to lay the foundation stone for construction in April. As Huda was not able to transfer the land to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the plans to lay foundation stone got delayed.
The NHAI has categorically said that they will not start construction works till the time dispute with landowners is settled.
A senior NHAI official said, “I have been informed of the court order. I believe this order will help clear the only remaining legal hurdle to the NPR project. The court has said that the GPA holders (facing displacement) have to be resettled to make the transfer possible at the earliest.”
The high court’s directive brought big relief to the 68 GPA holders who had to empty their lands.
“The court said that the Huda will have to give possession of alternative plots to the GPA holders within a week after which they will vacate their houses,” Ashish Chopra, a senior lawyer in Punjab and Haryana high court dealing with the matter, said.
Shailendra Jain, another senior lawyer who is familiar with the matter, said, “The court has fixed next Tuesday as the date by which the GPA holders have to be given possession of alternative plots. The order seems to have cleared the legal tangle holding up the project.”
“I am waiting for a copy of the court order. I have been informed of the verdict, but unless I examine the copy, I won’t be able to comment on the order. If the court has indeed asked us to give possession of alternative plots to GPA holders, we will have to follow it,” Chander Shekhar Khare, HUDA administrator, said,
