Haryana opts for land acquisition act to secure land for Gurugram Metro

The Haryana government has decided to acquire private land required for the Gurugram Metro corridor under the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, after negotiations with landowners under the state’s direct-purchase policy failed to secure the required parcels.

The Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL) requires more than 10,500 square metres of land across Islampur, Basai and Kanhai villages.

The identified requirement includes 8,600 square metres in Islampur, 1,696 square metres in Basai and 534 square metres in Kanhai, reported The Hindustan Times.

“It has been decided that this land will be acquired under Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and urban estates department will initiate the process to acquire this land,” a government official said.

The decision was taken at a high-powered committee meeting chaired by Haryana chief secretary Anurag Rastogi during a review of the Gurugram Metro project.

The direct-purchase process had involved negotiations with landowners, but most owners did not agree to sell their land under the policy. Officials said landowners had sought higher compensation, alternative plots and jobs linked to the Metro project. Multiple ownership of some of the parcels also made negotiations more difficult.

Under the 2013 law, compensation is linked to the market value of acquired land. Depending on the applicable provisions and location, the compensation component can be up to four times the market value in rural areas and twice the market value in urban areas. The legislation also provides rehabilitation and resettlement entitlements to eligible affected families.

The land requirement includes nearly 8,653.63 square metres in Islampur village under Badshahpur sub-tehsil. Key parcels there include areas measuring 1,881 square metres, 2,759.22 square metres and two others together measuring 3,637.15 square metres.

In Kanhai, 534 square metres at an institutional plot in Sector 44 near Fortis Hospital has been identified. In Basai, 1,695.74 square metres has been identified, including several smaller parcels in Sector 9 Gurugram.

The committee also directed agencies to complete utility shifting work along the Metro alignment.

The National Highways Authority of India said power feeders and the water pipeline between Hero Honda Chowk and Umang Bhardwaj Chowk will be shifted by December 31 this year. GMDA has asked the gas pipeline utility to complete its shifting work by October 31.

The land acquisition decision is intended to allow the Metro project to proceed without waiting for agreement from every landowner, subject to the procedures, compensation and rehabilitation provisions of the 2013 law.