Bitom Jongkey and 10 Ors v. The State of Arunachal Pradesh and 4 Ors

PageoNo.#o1/5 GAHC010243592023 ooooooo ooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooTHEoGAUHATIoHIGHoCOURTo (HIGHoCOURToOFoASSAM,oNAGALAND,oMIZORAMoANDoARUNACHALoPRADESH)o CaseoNo.o:oWA/404/2023o

1.oBITOMoJONGKEYoANDo10oORSo S/OoSHRIoOTENGJONGKEYo RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO,oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING,oDISTo UPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH,o791002 2:oSHRIoDIKOoAPANG oS/OoSHRIoDUNGGUoAPANG RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o791002 3:oSHRIoTUKIoJONGKEY oS/OoSHRIoANONGJONGKEYo RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o791002 4:oSHRIoAMINoJONGKEY oS/OoSHRIoANONGJONGKEYo RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o791002 5:oSHRIoOKUPoJONGKEY oS/OoLATEoDUNOoJONGKEYo RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o791002 PageoNo.#o2/5 6:oSRIoODAoPANGKAM oS/OoLATEoBOLOKoPANGKAM RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o791002 7:oSHRIoGONIoNOBENG oS/OoSRIoONYOKoNOBENG RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o791002 8:oSHRIoKANGGUoJONGKEY oS/OoSHRIoKABIToJONGKEYo RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o791002 9:oSHRIoJOMLONGoPANGKAM oS/OoLATEoLASIKoPANGKAM RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o791002 10:oSMTIoBINIoPANGKAM oS/OoSHRIoJOMLONGoPANGKAMo RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o791002 11:oSHRIoOLIKoAPANG oS/OoATUKoAPANGo RESIDENToOFoVILLAGEoKARKO oPOoYINGKIONG,oPSoJENGGING oDISToUPPERoSIANG,oARUNACHALoPRADESH o79100o VERSUSo

1.oTHEoSTATEoOFoARUNACHALoPRADESHoANDo4oORS.o REPRESENTEDoBYoITSoCHIEFoSECRETARY,oITANAGAR,oARUNACHALo PRADESH Page No.# 3/5 2:THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER CUM DISTRICT MAGISTRATE YINGKKIONG, UPPER SIANG DISTRICT ARUNACHAL PRADESH 3:THE OFFICER IN CHARGE 105 RCC (GREF) MOYING C.O 99 APO 930105 GOVT. OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH 4:THE DISTRICT LAND REVENUE AND SETTLEMENT OFFICER LAND MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT UPPER SIANG DISTRICT YINGKIONG ARUNACHAL PRADESH 791002 5:THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER (CIV.) OFFICER COMMANDING 105 ROAD CONST. COY (GREF) 930105 C/O 99 AP For the Appellant(s) : Mr. D. Mozumder, Senior Advocate assisted by Mr. P. Borah and Mr. G.R. Dutta, Advocate.

For the Respondent(s) : Mr. N.N.B. Choudhury, Additional Advocate General, Arunachal Pradesh.

BEFORE HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE KARDAK ETE

19.10.2023

The instant intra-Court writ appeal has been preferred by the appellants/writ petitioners against the interim order dated 11.10.2023 passed by the learned Single Bench (Itanagar Bench) in WP(C) No.499/2023, whereby a direction was issued to maintain status quo as on that day (11.10.2023) by the parties in respect of Right of Way (ROW) and the appellants/writ petitioners' right of use of their private lands. Page No.# 4/5 The appellants/writ petitioners preferred writ petition, being WP(C) No.499/2023 challenging the order dated 12.09.2023 issued by the Executive Magistrate, Yingkiong, Upper Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh, wherein following directions have been given:

"WHEREAS, it has been observed that construction activities such as construction of concrete boundary walls, shelters, plantation/cultivation etc are being carried out at various locations by the public on the Right of Way (ROW) with an intention to claim compensation at the time of Land Acquisition. AND WHEREAS, land acquisition on the existing Ditte Dimme-Migging road from 53.00 km (Sirnvuk Nallah) to 92.25 km (Moying) is under process to develop the road to National Highway Double Lane (NHDL) specification. AND WHEREAS, such construction are causing significant damage to road surface, drainage and causing instability to the existing road formation. AND WHEREAS, the existing road is the only primary means of transport in the region. Hence it is felt that it is expedient to safeguard the existing road from further damage. AND NOW, THEREFORE, I, Shri Hage Lailang, Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate, under the provision of Section 133 CrPC, do hereby prohibit all kinds of unauthorized constructions and plantation/ cultivation on the Right of WAY (ROW) of the existing Ditte Dimme-Migging road from 53.00 km (Sirnyuk Nallah) to 92.25 (Moying). Further, henceforth any unauthorized constructions, plantation or cultivation on the aforesaid ROW shall be viewed seriously and shall not be accounted in the survey for compensation."

Mr. D. Mozumder, learned senior counsel representing the appellants/writ petitioners submits that under the garb of the aforesaid order dated 12.09.2023, the police authorities are obstructing the appellants/writ petitioners from accessing the public Right of Way (ROW) so as to approach their own private lands for cultivation. He thus submits that the appellants/petitioners may be permitted to Page No.# 5/5 approach the Deputy Commissioner-cum District Magistrate, Yingkiong, Upper Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh for seeking clarification of the order dated

12.09.2023 so that the appellants/writ petitioners can approach their own private fields freely. Mr. N.N.B. Choudhury, learned Additional Advocate General, Arunachal Pradesh does not object to the aforesaid prayer. In view of the above, leaving the appellants/writ petitioners at liberty to approach the Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Magistrate, Yingkiong, Upper Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh with a suitable prayer for being allowed to have free access to the Right of Way, the proceedings of the instant writ appeal as well as of the writ petition, WP(C) No.499/2023 are closed. In case the appellants/writ petitioners' grievances still subsist, they shall be at liberty to take recourse of suitable remedy before appropriate forum.

JUDGE CHIEF JUSTICE Comparing Assistant