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Haryana Farmers Demand Higher Compensation for Land Acquired for Road Project in Sonipat

Reported by

Meenakshi Kapoor

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

March 19, 2020

May 17, 2022

Edited on

March 19, 2020

State

Haryana

Sector

Infrastructure

People Affected by Conflict

794

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

177

ha

Starting Year

2019

Location of Conflict

Mandora

Jhinjoli, Halalpur, Nahara, Garhi, Bala, Mohammadabad, Bindroli

Sonipat

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Roads

Land Conflict Summary

In March 2019, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) floated a tender for the development of Urban Extension Road II (NH344 M) between Bawana Industrial Area Delhi and the bypass of NH352 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. 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 series of protests 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, 2020, 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.
Subsequently, the NHAI started the construction works of the two highways but at a low pace as land acquisition issues are yet to be resolved. On June 4, NHAI opened technical bids calling for contractors for the construction of the project. NHAI Official Piyush Agarwal told LCW that the land acquisition process for the project has been concluded. Sabah Singh, resident of Mandora (Mandaura) village told LCW that the officials have acquired the land but the project affected families are continuing their protests seeking the compensation they demanded.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for more compensation than promised

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban and Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Forest, Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

3939.55

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 26: Criteria to be considered by the Collector while assessing market value includes the market value, average sale price for similar type of land in the vicinity, and consented amount of compensation paid in acquisition by private companies; Section 27 read with Schedule I: Determination of compensation amount to be paid; Section 28: Factors to be considered while determining compensation include market value, cost of relocation of business or residence, and damage caused due to the land acquisition; Section 31(1) read with Schedule II: R&R award for affected families; Section 25: The Collector must make an award within 12 months of the declaration of land acquisition, else the acquisition proceedings will lapse; Section 77: Payment of compensation to interested persons or deposit in Authority.
National Highways Act, 1956
Section 3A: Land may be acquired by the Central Government if it is satisfied that the land is required for the building of a national highway or part thereof. The government must appoint a competent authority (CALA) to issue the notification and determine market value of the land to be acquired; Section 3C: Any person interested in the land sought to be acquired may raise objections within 21 days of the notification and they must be heard; Section 3G: Compensation for land acquired under the National Highways Act must be assessed as per this provision; Section 3H: Compensation amount must be deposited with the competent authority before taking possession of the land. Thereafter, the competent authority must disburse the amount to entitled persons as soon as may be.
S.O. 2368 (E), Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2015, Ministry of Rural Development, August 28, 2015
Section 105 read with Schedule IV of the 2013 Act: Compensation in land acquisition proceedings initiated under the NH Act, 1956 will be calculated as per the 2013 Act.
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

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  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

No

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

Incorrect estimation of compensation

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Hunger strike

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Haryana Government

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?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

In March 2019, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) floated a tender for the development of Urban Extension Road II (NH344 M) between Bawana Industrial Area Delhi and the bypass of NH352 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. 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 series of protests 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, 2020, 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.
Subsequently, the NHAI started the construction works of the two highways but at a low pace as land acquisition issues are yet to be resolved. On June 4, NHAI opened technical bids calling for contractors for the construction of the project. NHAI Official Piyush Agarwal told LCW that the land acquisition process for the project has been concluded. Sabah Singh, resident of Mandora (Mandaura) village told LCW that the officials have acquired the land but the project affected families are continuing their protests seeking the compensation they demanded.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for more compensation than promised

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Urban and Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Forest, Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

Total investment involved (in Crores):

3939.55

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

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

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
Section 26: Criteria to be considered by the Collector while assessing market value includes the market value, average sale price for similar type of land in the vicinity, and consented amount of compensation paid in acquisition by private companies; Section 27 read with Schedule I: Determination of compensation amount to be paid; Section 28: Factors to be considered while determining compensation include market value, cost of relocation of business or residence, and damage caused due to the land acquisition; Section 31(1) read with Schedule II: R&R award for affected families; Section 25: The Collector must make an award within 12 months of the declaration of land acquisition, else the acquisition proceedings will lapse; Section 77: Payment of compensation to interested persons or deposit in Authority.
National Highways Act, 1956
Section 3A: Land may be acquired by the Central Government if it is satisfied that the land is required for the building of a national highway or part thereof. The government must appoint a competent authority (CALA) to issue the notification and determine market value of the land to be acquired; Section 3C: Any person interested in the land sought to be acquired may raise objections within 21 days of the notification and they must be heard; Section 3G: Compensation for land acquired under the National Highways Act must be assessed as per this provision; Section 3H: Compensation amount must be deposited with the competent authority before taking possession of the land. Thereafter, the competent authority must disburse the amount to entitled persons as soon as may be.
S.O. 2368 (E), Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2015, Ministry of Rural Development, August 28, 2015
Section 105 read with Schedule IV of the 2013 Act: Compensation in land acquisition proceedings initiated under the NH Act, 1956 will be calculated as per the 2013 Act.
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

No

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

Incorrect estimation of compensation

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Hunger strike

Campaigns (grassroots organisations/press releases/media)

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Haryana Government

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?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

Other Land Conflicts in Haryana

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