Central Government Announces Land Acquisition for Gangapur Bypass Construction on National Highway 23 in Rajasthan

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a statutory notification on July 29, 2025, signaling the commencement of land acquisition proceedings for the development of the Gangapur Bypass in Rajasthan. Published in the Gazette of India as S.O. 3505(E), the notification was issued under the authority of the National Highways Act, 1956. The Central Government exercised its powers to declare its intention to acquire specific land parcels required for the widening, maintenance, management, and operation of National Highway 23. The project encompasses a stretch of land extending from kilometer 0 to kilometer 19 within the Karauli district. This legislative action followed the government’s satisfaction that the acquisition is necessary for a public purpose, specifically the infrastructure enhancement of the regional highway network.

The legislation provided: “In exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956 (48 of 1956) (hereinafter referred to as the said Act), the Central Government, after being satisfied that for the public purpose, the land, the brief description of which is given in the Schedule below, is required for building Gangapur Bypass (widening/two lane with paved shoulder/four laning etc.,), maintenance, management and operation of NH23 in the stretch of land from Km. 0 to Km. 19 in the district of KARAULI in the state of RAJASTHAN, hereby declares its intention to acquire such land.”

The scope of the acquisition involves a total area of 17.5258 hectares spread across several villages in the Sapotra Taluk of Karauli district. The affected areas include land parcels in Baad Salempur, Salempur, Kurgaon, Tamolipura, and Biloj Nagar. The notification specified that the land identified includes both private and government-owned plots, categorized under various land types such as Barani (unirrigated land), Dehri Ditiya, and Banjar (wasteland). The acquisition process also covers structures existing on these lands where applicable. This notification came into force immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette, which serves as the formal public record for government decisions.

Under the statutory framework provided by the National Highways Act, 1956, the government established a clear enforcement mechanism for affected parties to voice grievances. Any person with an interest in the identified land was granted a period of twenty-one days from the date of the notification's publication to submit objections. These objections must be directed toward the use of the land for the specified highway project under Section 3C(1) of the Act. The Competent Authority designated for this proceeding is the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Sapotra. The law mandates that every objection must be submitted in writing, clearly stating the grounds for the challenge.

The legislative intent behind this notification is rooted in the policy rationale of improving national connectivity and traffic flow through the construction of bypasses. By diverting highway traffic away from congested urban or village centers, the Gangapur Bypass aims to reduce transit times and enhance road safety. The statutory framework ensures a balance between infrastructure development and the rights of landholders by requiring the Competent Authority to provide objectors with an opportunity to be heard, either in person or through a legal practitioner (a qualified lawyer). Following such hearings and any necessary further inquiry, the Competent Authority is empowered to issue an order either allowing or disallowing the objections. According to the Act, any order passed by the Competent Authority in this regard is final and binding.

The notification substituted the prior status of these land parcels with a formal intent for state acquisition, effectively freezing certain private dealings that might conflict with the public project. To ensure transparency, the government made land plans and detailed descriptions of the affected plots available for inspection at the office of the Competent Authority in Sapotra. This procedural step addresses the statutory requirement for public notice and allows affected residents and institutions to verify the exact boundaries of the proposed acquisition. The project represents a significant expansion of the existing statutory framework for National Highway 23, transitioning the stretch into a modernized two-lane or four-lane facility with paved shoulders to meet contemporary transportation demands.

Keywords: National Highways Act 1956, Land Acquisition, Gangapur Bypass, NH23, Rajasthan, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Karauli, Sapotra, Infrastructure Development

Geo Tags: India, Rajasthan
District: Karauli