Notes discrepancy: HC seeks Kutch Collector response after failing to replenish gauchar land divested for Mundra port in 2005 | Ahmedabad News
Notes discrepancy: HC seeks Kutch Collector response after failing to replenish gauchar land divested for Mundra port in 2005 | Ahmedabad News
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Noting discrepancy in alternate allocation of grazing (gauchar) land after selling around 231 acres of such land in Navinal village of Mundra to the Mundra Port and SEZ in 2005, the Gujarat High Court Friday directed the Kutch Collector to file his personal affidavit to bring on record the response of the state in this regard.
In 2005, gauchar land of three panchayats were divested in order to allocate the same in favour of Mundra Port and SEZ to develop the special economic zone.
The villages were to be compensated with alternative gauchar land in return. One of the affected village was Navinal and in a petition moved before the HC in 2011, the petitioners pointed out that the village panchayat had limited gauchar land at their command and further dwindling of the gauchar area would be detrimental to the residents of the village as it would make the sustenance of their cattle population in the area difficult.
During the pendency of the petition, then Kutch Deputy Collector passed an order in June 2013 granting additional 387 hectares and 80 acres of government land for the purpose of gauchar, subject to conditions.
Additionally, the village panchayat was to allot an additional 85 hectares, 46 gunthas and 62 acres for the purpose. However, in an affidavit dated March 6, revenue department prant officer Chetan Misan filed that upon overall consideration of animal population — 732 as of now in the locality — the total land required by the Navinal village under the head of gauchar is 320 acres (129-50-08 hectares), whereas the available land was only 72-42-14 hectares.
While Mundra Port and SEZ had given an assurance to return land measuring 38-40-85 hectares, the process is pending before the revenue department.
On Friday, the bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee noted that “the area of the land offered to be returned by the Mundra port and SEZ and available land in the village would not be sufficient “to cater to the needs of 732 animal population at present”, as per an affidavit by a prant officer.
The court has sought that this discrepancy is to be answered by the state. It directed the Kutch Collector to file his personal affidavit “to bring on record response of the state that shall essentially be in consultation with the principal secretary of the revenue department, who shall take necessary steps to resolve the issue, inasmuch as replenishment of gauchar land in village Navinal is duty of the state”.
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