Bailable warrants against Secy, Transport

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, March 28

Taking a serious note of the issue of non-compliance of the order passed by the court, the HP High Court today issued bailable warrants against Secretary, Road Transport and Highways, Union of India, Land Acquisition Officer-cum-Competent Authority of National Highways Authority of India, Bilaspur.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed these orders on a petition filed by Ram Dei, a resident of Mandi district, for claiming statuary benefits under the Land Acquisition Act. Acting on this petition the court on January 3 had directed the above said officers to file their replies within eight weeks. In default, they will have to appear in person before the court on March 28.

Despite clear directions of the court they neither filed their replies within the stipulated time nor were they present before the court today as directed by it. Taking a note of this, the court issued bailable warrants against the officers for April 17.

It was alleged in the petition that the land of the petitioner was acquired for widening/four-laning of National Highway Bilaspur to Mandi.

The petitioner has alleged in the petition that the Land Acquisition Collector released the amount of compensation falling in the share of the petitioner in her favour. However, the amount did not include statutory benefits as are mandatory under the Land Acquisition Act.

The petitioner has prayed in the petition that the directions be issued to the authorities to calculate the amount of solatium and interest on the amount of compensation assessed by the Land Acquisition Collector in the case of the petitioner and release the same within a time-bound manner.