Central Government Declares Land Acquisition for NH119D Development in Samastipur District of Bihar

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a statutory notification on July 29, 2025, declaring the formal acquisition of land for the development of National Highway 119D in the state of Bihar. This notification, published in the Gazette of India as S.O. 3509(E), was issued under the powers conferred by the National Highways Act, 1956. The acquisition pertains to a specific stretch of land between Km. 32.2 and Km. 66.5 located within the Samastipur district. The Central Government had previously signaled its intent to acquire these parcels through a preliminary notification dated February 13, 2025, which was subsequently publicized in Dainik Jagaran and The Times of India on February 21, 2025, to ensure public awareness and invite feedback from affected parties.

Following the initial declaration of intent under Section 3A of the Act, the competent authority invited and evaluated objections filed under Section 3C. These objections, which typically involve concerns regarding land ownership or the necessity of the acquisition, were considered and settled appropriately before a final report was submitted to the Central Government. With the submission of this report, the government exercised its authority under Section 3D(1) of the Act to formally declare the acquisition for the purposes of building, widening, maintaining, and managing the highway infrastructure. The notification confirmed that the acquisition process reached its legal finality upon publication in the Official Gazette.

The legislation provided: “the Central Government hereby declares that on publication of this notification in the Official Gazette, the land specified in the said Schedule shall vest absolutely in the Central Government, free from all encumbrances.”

The policy rationale behind this measure is rooted in the Bharatmala project framework, aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and facilitating smoother logistical operations through the widening and four laning of existing routes. The land parcels identified in the schedule encompass approximately 0.74451 hectares across various villages, including Simria Bhindi, Kharsand, Madhuban, Bankipur, Gopalpur, and Balbhadarpur Khajuri in the Kalyanpur Taluk, as well as Sajanpur and Dhurlakh in the Warisnagar Taluk. The types of land affected range from Dhanhar (paddy fields) and Bhith (upland) to residential plots, involving several private owners and interested persons.

By invoking Section 3D(2) of the National Highways Act, 1956, the statutory framework ensures that the title of the land is transferred to the Union without any legal burdens or prior claims (encumbrances). This legal mechanism is designed to prevent delays in infrastructure projects by providing a clear and absolute title to the state once the procedural requirements of hearing objections and reporting have been satisfied. The enforcement of this notification marks the transition from private or local ownership to central administrative control, enabling the Ministry to proceed with the planned engineering and construction activities on NH119D.

Keywords: National Highways Act 1956, Land Acquisition, NH119D, Samastipur, Bihar, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Gazette Notification, Infrastructure Development, Bharatmala Project

Geo Tags: India, Bihar
District: Samastipur