CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has issued notice to the state authorities on the issue of return of land acquired for the university to be set up by Vedanta Foundation, now called the Anil Agarwal Foundation, in Puri.
Navanirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS), a farmers’ organisation, filed the petition seeking return of the land to their owners.
The state government had initiated land acquisition proceedings for the university between December 13, 2006 and August 21, 2007. In 2010, the high court quashed the acquisition and directed Vedanta to return the land to their owners. Later, the Supreme Court upheld the high court’s order on April 12, 2023.
When the matter was before the Supreme Court, Anil Agarwal Foundation submitted that it was ready to confine the acquisition to 3,837 acre only instead of 15,000 acre as initially proposed. However, the apex court held that agricultural land belonging to 6,000 families was proposed to be acquired. As the land was their only source of livelihood, it could not be compensated in terms of money, and therefore, the proposal has to be rejected.
During a preliminary hearing on NKS’ petition on August 28, senior advocate Sidhartha Ray submitted that the acquired land as directed by the high court is yet to be returned to their owners. He also sought interim compensation for the people from whom the land was acquired.
Additional government advocate Lalatendu Samantaray, on the other hand, stated that as things stand today, it is for the Vedanta Foundation (now Anil Agarwal Foundation) to return the land that it had taken possession after paying compensation to the owners. The land owners in response have to refund the compensation amount received by them.
The division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Savitri Ratho issued notice on the question of admission to chief secretary, director state Vigilance, Puri collector and land acquisition officer, and Anil Agarwal Foundation.