Meghalaya High Court set aside illegal land acquisition by State for rural water programme

A writ petition was filed before the High Court of Meghalaya by the residents of Rattacherra, Meghalaya against the State of Meghalaya challenging the use of their agricultural lands for the purpose of laying down pipelines under the Natural Rural Drinking Water Programme sponsored by the State Government without acquisition and without the payment of compensation.

The Meghalaya High Court directed the State Government of Meghalaya to remove the construction made on the land. In an affidavit to the High Court, the State submitted that the scheme for laying pipelines for water supply was being implemented under the Natural Rural Drinking Water Programme. The Court held that since there is no component of payment of money for land compensation in that Scheme, the respondent-State had abandoned the Project in 2016 itself and they now no longer required using the land of the petitioners.

The Court further held that the petitioners would be free to make use of their lands in the manner they want. Even if part of the Scheme was implemented and some constructions were made, the respondent-State was to remove the same within a fortnight.