In March 2019, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) floated a tender for the development of Urban Extension Road II (NH-344 M) between Bawana Industrial Area Delhi and the bypass of NH-352 A at Barwasni in Sonipat district. The total land to be acquired** for the proposed project is 234.45 hectares, of which 57.23 hectares is government land and 177.22 hectares is private land, as mentioned in the Terms of Reference (ToR). Approximately 15 hectares of forestland would be diverted for the project. The NHAI is yet to apply for forest clearance. Soon after the NHAI floated the tender, farmers from 12 villages in Sonipat district who would lose their land filed a memorandum with Bhiwani Deputy Commissioner Anshaj Singh, as reported in The Hindu. In the memorandum, the farmers requested that a committee be constituted to decide the market value of their land, as mandated by the National Highways Act of 1956. They claim no action was taken on their plea. The farmers also demand that the acquisition should happen as per the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act, 2013, instead of the National Highways Act, 1956, as the LARR Act makes them eligible for higher compensation. In May 2019, the NHAI applied to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for grant of the ToR under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, for the project. The ministry issued the ToR in July. Since then, the affected farmers have been holding a sit-in protest in Mandora. They claim that the current collector rate (minimum price of land per square feet as decided by the revenue department) **of INR 25 lakh per acre is not consistent with the market value of the land. (collector rates are not revised frequently enough to match the market rates). The farmers demanded that the compensation should be increased to INR 1.25 crore per acre. On February 9, Land Conflict Watch wrote to Virender Sambyal, deputy general manager at the Project Implementation Unit of NHAI in Rohtak, to get an update on the status of the project but did not get any response.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Higher compensation
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Both
Type of Common Land
Forest
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community? What was the decision of the concerned government department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Legal Status:
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors
Official name of the criminal law. Did the case reach trial?
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Nature of Protest
Complaints, petitions, memorandums to officials
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of Corporate Authorities Approached
Other Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Documented By
Meenakshi KapoorReviewed By
Meenakshi KapoorUpdated By
Meenakshi KapoorEdited By
Meenakshi KapoorLand Conflict Watch
