Acquisition of land for rail line stayed

Jodhpur: Taking a strict stance on acquisition of private landowners’ properties for laying the new railway line from Nathdwara to Rajsamand, the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur has stayed acquisition of land of four petitioner landowners.
The single bench of justice Rekha Borana issued this order on a petition filed by Nathdwara resident Jamnadas Sanadhya and three other landowners, who had stated in their petition that the railway altered its predetermined design to exclude the lands of some influential landowners and instead acquire the lands of less influential individuals.
The High Court’s order will only be effective concerning the lands of the petitioner landowners.
The petition stated that the Ministry of Railways initially issued a notification on April 7, 2022, for land acquisition for the Nathdwara-Nathdwara Town rail line, which did not include the petitioners’ lands. However, later, without any reason, a new notification was issued on December 29, 2023, excluding previously included lands and instead including the petitioners’ lands.
Petitioner’s counsels argued that lands excluded by the railways included properties of influential and politically powerful individuals.