Central Government Initiates Land Acquisition for Gujarat Railway Overbridge Project

The Ministry of Railways, Western Railway (Construction Organization), issued Notification (Corrigendum) S.O. 916(E) on February 20, 2025, declaring its intention to acquire land for a crucial Special Railway Project in Gujarat. This notification, published in the Official Gazette on the same date, signifies a step towards enhancing railway infrastructure by constructing two-lane Road Over Bridges (ROBs) in place of existing level crossings. The Central Government, exercising powers conferred by sub-section (I) of section 20A of the Railways Act, 1989, determined that the land, detailed in the annexed schedule, is required for public purpose. The project specifically targets the replacement of Level Crossing No. 121 (km 232/2-4) and Level Crossing No. 132 (km 243/14-16) on the Virar-Surat section within the State of Gujarat. The notification outlines a formal process for any person interested in the affected land to raise objections to the proposed acquisition.

The legislative intent behind this notification is to facilitate the development of essential railway infrastructure, specifically aiming to improve safety and operational efficiency by eliminating level crossings. Level crossings often pose significant safety risks and contribute to traffic congestion, making their replacement with Road Over Bridges a key policy objective for modernizing railway networks. The notification operates within the existing statutory framework of the Railways Act, 1989, which empowers the Central Government to acquire land for railway purposes. The legislation provided: “the Central Government after being satisfied that for the public purpose, the land, the brief description of which has given in the schedule annexed here to, is required for execution of the Special Railway Project, Namely, State of Gujarat in connection with 2 lane ROB in lieu of Level crossing no 121 km 232/2-4 and level Crossing no 132 km 243/14-16 - project in the State of Gujarat, hereby declares its intention to acquired such land.” This action addresses the specific need for land parcels in Jalalpor Taluka, Navsari District, Gujarat, encompassing villages such as Hansapore and Kadoli, to enable the construction of the ROBs. The notification establishes a clear enforcement mechanism and timeline, stipulating that objections to the acquisition must be submitted in writing to the competent authority, the Prant Officer Navsari, within thirty days from the date of its publication. Objectors are granted an opportunity to be heard, either in person or through a legal practitioner, and the competent authority's decision on such objections, made under sub-section (II) of section 20D of the said Act, will be final. Land plans and other details pertaining to the acquisition are available for inspection at the competent authority's office.

Keywords: Land Acquisition, Railway Project, Gujarat, Road Over Bridge, Railways Act 1989, Navsari
Geo Tags: India, Gujarat
District: Navsari