The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently declined to stop the construction of the Punjab section of the Delhi-Katra Expressway. The decision came after a bench of Justices Lisa Gill and Ritu Tagore concluded that there were no grounds to provide interim relief to 127 petitioners who claimed that their homes and other structures were being demolished for the project without receiving a supplemental award.
During the court proceedings, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) argued that the petitioners’ claims were misleading and inconsistent with the facts. They presented satellite images to demonstrate that only one petitioner’s home was situated within the project’s alignment. The NHAI further highlighted that the primary structure of the house was outside the alignment, with only the perimeter wall falling within it.
Furthermore, the NHAI informed the court that a supplemental award had been issued for the boundary wall. They also noted that the petitioners had not made any claims regarding other structures such as tube wells or bore wells.
The petitioners contended that they were unaware of any additional award and had not received compensation. They sought to present further arguments challenging the land acquisition process itself.
After careful consideration, the High Court rejected the request for a temporary stay to halt the project, stating, “We find no justification whatsoever to grant any interim relief at this stage to halt the ‘Development of Punjab Section of Delhi-Katra Motorway including green field connectivity to Amritsar’ project.”
The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for July 10.
