Central Government Declares Intention to Acquire Land Rights for Kandla-Gorakhpur LPG Pipeline in Gujarat

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a formal notification on July 18, 2025, announcing the Central Government’s intention to acquire the Right of User in various land parcels located within the Vadodara district of Gujarat. This statutory instrument, identified as S.O. 3342(E), was promulgated under the authority of the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 1962. The acquisition was deemed necessary in the public interest to facilitate the construction and implementation of the Kandla Gorakhpur LPG Pipeline Project. This specific segment of the project, managed by IHB Limited, involves the laying of a pipeline from Dahej to the Dumad Terminal. The notification became effective upon its publication in the Gazette of India on July 21, 2025.

The Central Government determined that the expansion of the LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) transportation network was essential for national energy infrastructure. By acquiring the Right of User (a legal provision allowing the government or a corporation to lay pipelines under the surface of land without transferring full ownership), the state sought to balance industrial necessity with property rights. The notification identified specific survey and block numbers across several villages in the Vadodara Tehsil, including Sarar, Itola, Vadsala, Alhadpura, Navapura, Kelanpur, Ratanpur, and Virod. The total area affected comprised various hectares and square meters as detailed in the statutory schedule.

The legislation provided: “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Sub Section (1) of Section 3 of the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act, 1962 (50 of 1962), the Central Government hereby declares its intention to acquire the right of user therein;”

Under the procedural requirements of the Act, any person with an interest in the scheduled lands was granted the right to submit objections. These objections must be filed in writing to the designated Competent Authority and Deputy Collector for the Kandla Gorakhpur LPG Pipeline Project within twenty one days from the date the notification was made available to the public. This window for legal recourse ensures that affected parties can raise concerns regarding the proposed route or the impact on their land before the acquisition is finalized.

The policy rationale for this measure was rooted in the need to address statutory gaps in energy distribution and to streamline the movement of petroleum products across the state. Prior to the invocation of the 1962 Act, the legal framework for such infrastructure required complex land acquisition processes that often led to significant delays and displacement. The current statutory framework allows for a more targeted approach, where the government acquires only the subsoil rights necessary for the pipeline, thereby minimizing the impact on agricultural and residential activities on the surface. This enforcement mechanism is part of a broader legislative intent to enhance the efficiency of the Kandla Gorakhpur project, which serves as a critical link in India’s energy supply chain. By substituting full land acquisition with the Right of User, the government addressed the limitations of earlier legal positions, ensuring that the pipeline could be laid within the prescribed statutory timelines while maintaining the rights of the original landholders to continue surface level operations.

Keywords: LPG Pipeline, Right of User, Vadodara, IHB Limited, Petroleum Act 1962, Land Acquisition, Gujarat, Ministry of Petroleum, Infrastructure Development

Geo Tags: India, Gujarat
District: Vadodara