Today(on 10th July), The Supreme Court paused a Gujarat High Court directive requiring the state government to reclaim 108 hectares of grazing land allotted to Adani Ports in 2005, providing relief to APSEZ. The bench, led by Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, issued a notice to the Gujarat government following APSEZ’s appeal to stay the High Court’s order.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today(on 10th July) paused a Gujarat High Court directive that had instructed the state government to resume the process of reclaiming approximately 108 hectares of grazing land allotted to Adani Ports in 2005. This decision comes as a relief to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ).
The bench, led by Justice BR Gavai and including Justice KV Viswanathan, responded to an appeal from APSEZ. The company contended that the High Court’s order needed to be stayed in the interest of justice. After considering the appeal, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Gujarat government and suspended the High Court’s directive.
“Issue a notice and stay the impugned order.”
-stated the bench, highlighting the immediate suspension of the Gujarat High Court’s order.
The land in question, spanning 108 hectares (approximately 266 acres), is situated near Mundra port in the Kutch district. This top court’s intervention followed the Gujarat government’s recent communication to the High Court, expressing its intent to reclaim the land initially allocated to the Adani Group entity back in 2005.
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The controversy traces back to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by residents of Navinal village in the Kutch district. The villagers challenged the 2005 decision to allocate 231 acres of grazing land to Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd. They discovered the land allotment in 2010, prompting them to take legal action.
According to the villagers, the allocation drastically reduced the available grazing land in their village from 276 acres to just 45 acres. They argued that the reduction in grazing land was illegal, especially given that the village already faced a shortage of such land. Furthermore, they emphasized that the land was a common resource meant for community use.
The PIL filed by the villagers brought to light their struggles and the impact of the land allotment on their community. They maintained that the decision to allocate such a significant portion of the grazing land to a private entity was detrimental to their livelihood and the village’s sustainability.
This Supreme Court intervention not only pauses the Gujarat High Court’s order but also brings temporary relief to Adani Ports. The court’s decision to stay the order highlights the complexity and sensitivity of land allocation issues, particularly when they involve common community resources.
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