Sec 76-80 row nearing end?

CHANDIGARH: Punjab government is keen to bury the hatchet with disgruntled land-owners of over 100 acres of prime land in sectors 76 to 80, Mohali, who have refused to accept "meagre" compensation, so as to give impetus to development of these sectors. This was the feeler given to Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday by Punjab advocate general HS Mattewal.
The government's stance is understandable given the fact that the land measuring 135 acres with market price pegged at hundreds of crores is stuck in the no-man's land owing to intransigence of some government officials who have paid no heed to the demands of the land owners agitating for the past many years.
"The chief minister is considering the request of the land owners who have not accepted the compensation and are still in possession of the land. The final stand on the
issue would be taken by the cabinet but owing to model code of conduct coming into operation, it may take some time," Mattewal told division bench headed by justice Adarsh Kumar Goel.
Importantly, a panel comprising AG, chief secretary and chief administrator, GMADA, has already been constituted to resolve the vexed issue. The bitter dispute continuing for the past eight years emanated from the decision by Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) to acquire about 1,400 acres to develop urban estate in sectors 76 to 80 in 2001. While the owners of land measuring over 1200 acres had accepted the monetary compensation, others were not satisfied with the quantum of the acquisition and moved court.
The legal battle resulted in bar on any kind of developmental activity on the disputed land with allottees of over 1,400 plots left high and dry after receiving the letters of intent. Importantly, over 2,500 allottees of the total of 3,931 carved out plots had been issued allotment letters in 2007 and 2008. Punjab government had informed HC earlier this year that it had decided to allot alternative sites to those landowners who had not yet accepted the monetary compensation, subject to certain terms and conditions.
Significantly, there were strong protests by many allottees under oustee quota, whose land was acquired in 2001 to develop sectors 76 to 80, in February when Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) had allotted 683 plots, measuring 125 square yard and 150 square yard each, in sectors 77, 78, 79 and 80.