Forash Uddin Laskar and 7 Ors v. The Union of India and 5 Ors

ORDER 20-05-2024 Heard Mr. F. U. Borbhuiya, learned counsel for the petitioners. Also heard Ms. K. Phukan, learned CGC for respondent no. 1; Ms. G. Hazarika, learned Standing Counsel, Revenue Department for respondent nos. 2; Mr. H. Sarma, learned Addl. Senior Govt. Advocate for respondent nos. 3 & 4. Mr. B. Gogoi, learned Standing Counsel, PWD for respondent nos. 5 & 6. The grievance of the petitioners is that the re-assessed compensation awarded by the Arbitrator relating to acquisition of land of the petitioner under the National Highway Act, 1956 has not been paid. It is the case of the petitioners that though the work was executed by the PWD, (NH works), the State of Assam, the requiring authority is the Ministry of Shipping Road Transport and Highways and therefore it is the said authority who is to release the amount to the PWD (NH works), who in turn deposit the same before the competent authority of land acquisition (CALA). Today, when the matter was called, Ms. K. Phukan, learned Central Govt. Counsel places before this Court an instruction dated 16.04.2024 received from the Assistant Executive Engineer, Govt. of India, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Regional Office. It appears from the aforesaid instruction that the subject amount has already been processed for payment to CALA. Page No.# 4/4 On perusal of the aforesaid instructions, it appears that the case of the petitioner has been observed which pertains to land acquisition for LALA bypass. It further appears that revised cost estimate for land acquisition and structures from km 35/00 to km 46/00 of NH-154 imder SARDP-NE, (phase –A) has been sanctioned by Ministry for Rs.1049 lakh (includes Rs.507.51 lakh for additional compensation for land acquisition as per arbitration award dated 01.07.2017 and Hon'ble Court order dated

28.08.2018) vide letter No. 12018/01/2022/AS-LA/North East C. No. 217612 dated

19.07.2023. It further appears that the Office of the Assistant Executive Engineer for Regional Office, Guwahati Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has processed the subject amount to CALA on 12.10.2023 and 18.03.2024. The vouchers of the same are enclosed along with the instructions. A copy of the said instructions furnished by Ms. K. Phukan, learned CGC is kept on record and marked as "X". In view of the above, this Court is of the opinion that this writ petition can be disposed of by providing the concerned authorities to take appropriate steps under the law for releasing the subject amount to the petitioner as expeditiously as possible but not later than 3 (three) months from the date of receipt of the certified copy of the order. Ordered accordingly. As such, the writ petition stands disposed of.

JUDGE Comparing Assistant

PageoNo.#o1/4 GAHC010218592022 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWP(C)/7102/2022o FORASHoUDDINoLASKARoANDo7oORS.o S/O-oLT.oTABARAKoALIoLASKAR,oVILL-oRAJYESHWARPURoPART-III,oP.O.o AMALA,oP.S.oLALA,oDIST.-oHAILAKANDI,oASSAM 2:oSOIFoUDDINoCHOUDHURY oS/O-oLT.oTAHIRoALI oVILL-oRAJYESHWARPURoPART-III oP.O.oAMALA oP.S.oLALA oDIST.-oHAILAKANDI oASSAM 3:oKANCHYANoDAS oS/O-oLT.oAMULYAoDAS oVILL-oCHANDRAPURoPART-I oP.O.oCHANDRAPUR oP.S.oLALA oDIST.-oHAILAKANDI oASSAM 4:oNEZAMoUDDINoCHOUDHURY oS/O-oLT.oANJADoALI oVILL-oLALAoPART-I oP.O./oP.S.oLALA oDIST.-oHAILAKANDI oASSAM 5:oNAZRULoISLAM oS/O-oLT.oATAURoRAHMANoCHOUDHURY oVILL-oLALAoPART-I oP.O./oP.S.oLALA oDIST.-oHAILAKANDI oASSAM PageoNo.#o2/4 6:oBELWARoHUSSAINoCHOUDHURY oS/O-oLT.oMUJAMMILoALIoCHOUDHURY oVILL-oDHANIPUR oP.O./oP.S.oLALA oDIST.-oHAILAKANDI oASSAM 7:oMASUKoUDDINoCHOUDHURYo@oMASUKoAHMED oS/O-oLT.oABDULoHOQUEoCHOUDHURY oVILL-oDHANIPUR oP.O./oP.S.oLALA oDIST.-oHAILAKANDI oASSAM 8:oNIAFARoALIoCHOUDHURY oS/O-oLT.oABDULoGAFURoCHOUDHURY oVILL-oDHANIPUR oP.O./oP.S.oLALA oDIST.-oHAILAKANDI oASSAo VERSUSo THEoUNIONoOFoINDIAoANDo5oORS.o REP.oBYoTHEoSECY.oTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoINDIA,oMINISTRYoOFoROAD,o TRANSPORToANDoHIGHWAYS,oTRANSPORToBHAWAN-1,oPARLIAMENTo STREET,oNEWoDELHI-o110001 2:THEoSTATEoOFoASSAM oREP.oBYoTHEoCOMM.oANDoSECY.oTOoTHEoGOVT.oOFoASSAM oREVENUEoANDoDISASTERoMANAGEMENToDEPTT. oDISPUR oGHY-6 3:THEoDIVISIONALoCOMMISSIONER oBARAKoVALLEYoDIVISION oHOUSEFEDoCOMPLEX oDISPUR oGHY-6 4:THEoDY.oCOMMISSIONERoANDoCOMPETENToAUTHORITY oMINISTRYoOFoROADoTRANSPORToANDoHIGHoWAYS oHAILAKANDI 5:THEoCHIEFoENGINEERo(NHoWORKS) oASSAM oCHANDMARI oGHY-3 Page No.# 3/4 6:THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER PWD KARIMGANJ N.H. DIVISION KARIMGAN Advocate for the Petitioner : MR F U BARBHUIYA Advocate for the Respondent : DY.S.G.I. BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE KAUSHIK GOSWAMI