High Court quashes Vedanta varsity land acquisition

Bhubaneswar : Quashing the process of land acquisition for Vedanta University in Puri, the Orissa High Court on Tuesday asked the government to return the acquired land to its owners.

A division bench of Chief Justice V Gopal Gouda and Justice B P Das pronounced as null and void the notification for land acquisition for the Vedanta University project.

The state government has been directed to return the land it had so far acquired for the project.

Acting on a petition filed by BJP member and former Puri MLA Uma Ballabh Rath in 2008, the court said acquisition of government land as well as land of Lord Jagannath for the university was invalid as it violated Land Acquisition (companies) Rules, 1963.

The HC also ruled that Anil Agarwal Foundation was not a public limited company and hence any acquisition of land for it under Land Acquisition Act, 1894 was illegal.

Of the 4500 acres acquired for the company, 1300 acres are Amrutamanohi land, a type of cultivable land belonging to Lord Jagannath.

The crops grown in such lands are used in Lord Jagannath’s kitchen and the land managed by Puri temple administration can’t be traded.

The division bench of the High Court also said that the university project would be a threat to the wildlife at Balukhand marine sanctuary, situated just about 30 metres away.

The multi-disciplinary University near the Konark-Puri marine drive was being set up by the Anil Agarwal Foundation, promoted by NRI industrialist and chairman of Britain’s Vedanta Resources Anil Agarwal.

The university was to come up in over 6,000 acres with a phased investment of Rs.150 billion.