Supreme Court Stays Gujarat High Court Order To Retrieve Land Allotted To Adani Ports

The Supreme Court stayed on Wednesday an order by the Gujarat High Court for implementation of the recovery of land allotted to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. in Navinal village, Mundra in Gujarat.

Earlier, the state government agreed to retrieve 108 hectares of cattle-grazing land in the Kutch region after the resumption order from the high court. The order came after a public interest litigation was filed by local villagers challenging the land allotment to the Adani Group company.

The land was allotted to the country's top private port operator in 2005 by the then Bharatiya Janata Party government for the Mundra Port Special Economic Zone project.

The Collector of Kutch had allotted the land in July 2005 to Adani for its Special Economic Zone. Adani had paid a consideration of over Rs 37.39 lakh along with 30% premium of Rs 11.21 lakh for the land.

The case dates back to 2011 when a PIL was filed by the residents of Navinal village, challenging the allocation of grazing land or gauchar to Adani Ports. It was contended that the allocation had left very little grazing land for the villagers.

The case was initially disposed of by the high court in 2014 on the state government's assurance that it will grant 387 hectares of grazing land to the villagers. However, on observing a discrepancy in the state's offer, the case was recalled and restored.

Earlier this year, the high court found that there were around 732 animals, for which an area of about 132 hectares of grazing land would be required. However, the allotment of land to Adani Ports in 2005 had left the villagers with only 17 hectares of grazing land.

This led to the state government to file an affidavit before the high court, stating that it would retrieve 108 hectares of land from Adani ports. The high court gave its approval to the state's suggestion on July 5.