VEENA SINGH Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Shri Shashi Nandan, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Shri Komal Mehrotra and Shri Eshaan Chandra, learned counsels for the petitioner, Shri Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal, learned counsel for the respondent No.1 - Union of India, Sri Devesh Vikram, learned Additional Chief Standing Counsel and Ms. Uttara Bahuguna, learned Additional Chief Standing Counsel, both for the State- respondents, and Shri M.C.Chaturvedi, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Sri Devendra Kumar, learned counsel for the respondent Nos. 2 and 3 National Highway Authority of India.

(2.) This writ petition has been preferred praying for the following relief:

(3.) It reflects from the records that on 6/2/2024, the Central Government, in exercise of powers conferred under Sec. 3A(1) of the National Highways Act, 19562, issued Notification S.O. 558(E), published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, declaring its intention to acquire land for a public purpose, namely, for building, widening/four-laning/six-laning, maintenance, management and operation of National Highway No. NH-334(D) in the stretch from Km. 0.000 to Km. 58.600, known as the AligarhPalwal Sec. , situated in District Aligarh, State of Uttar Pradesh. The notification contained a brief description of the land proposed to be acquired as detailed in the Schedule appended thereto. In the said notification, the plot in question, namely Gata No. 27, finds place at Serial No. 681, and an area measuring 0.8348 hectares of the said plot was proposed to be acquired. It further invited objections from persons interested in the said land under Sec. 3C(1) of the Act, 1956 within twenty-one days from the date of publication of the notification in the Official Gazette. Such objections were required to be submitted in writing to the Competent Authority, namely, the Additional District Magistrate (Administration), Aligarh, who was empowered to afford an opportunity of hearing to the objectors, either in person or through a legal practitioner, and thereafter to pass orders allowing or disallowing the objections. The notification also clarified that the orders passed by the Competent Authority under Sec. 3C(2) of the Act, 1956 would be final and that the land plans and other acquisition details were available for inspection in the office of the Competent Authority.