Central Government Initiates Land Acquisition for Road Over Bridge Project in Kheda District of Gujarat

The Ministry of Railways issued a statutory notification on March 26, 2025, declaring the Central Government’s intention to acquire specific land parcels in the State of Gujarat for the execution of a Special Railway Project. Published in the Gazette of India on March 27, 2025, the notification, designated as S.O. 1460(E), was issued in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 20A(1) of the Railways Act, 1989. The acquisition is necessitated by the public purpose of constructing a two-lane Road Over Bridge (a structure carrying a road over a railway line) in lieu of Level Crossing Number 278. This project is situated at Kilometre 455/20-22 on the Vadodara-Geratpur section of the Western Railway’s Vadodara Division, specifically within the Nadiad (Rural) Taluka of Kheda District.

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 hereto, is required for execution of the Special Railway Project, namely, Construction of 2 lane Road Over Bridge (ROB) in lieu of LC No. 278 at Km 455/20-22 between section Vadodara-Geratpur of Vadodara Division on Western Railway project in District Kheda in the State of Gujarat, hereby declares its intention to acquired such land”

Under the procedural framework established by the notification, any person with an interest in the identified land is permitted to raise objections to the acquisition and the intended use of the land. Such objections must be submitted in writing to the Competent Authority, identified as the Prant Officer of Nadiad, within thirty days from the date of the notification's publication in the Official Gazette. The statute requires that the grounds for objection be clearly set out, after which the Competent Authority will provide the objector with an opportunity to be heard, either in person or through a legal practitioner. Following a hearing and any further necessary inquiry, the authority may issue an order to either allow or disallow the objections. In accordance with Section 20D(2) of the Railways Act, any such order passed by the Competent Authority shall be final and binding.

The legislative intent behind this notification is to streamline the development of essential transport infrastructure by replacing level crossings, which often serve as bottlenecks for both rail and vehicular traffic. By utilizing the provisions related to Special Railway Projects, the government aims to address statutory delays and ensure the timely completion of safety-critical infrastructure. The identified land consists of approximately 1,538 square meters of private agricultural land located in Silod village. The schedule annexed to the notification details eight specific survey numbers, including 372/1, 378, 381, 518, 519, 520, 521, and 522. To maintain transparency, the Ministry has made the land plans and associated details available for public inspection at the office of the Competent Authority in Nadiad. This notification came into force upon its publication in the Official Gazette, marking the formal commencement of the land procurement process for the Vadodara Division’s infrastructure upgrade.

Keywords: Railways Act 1989, Land Acquisition, Gujarat, Road Over Bridge, Western Railway, Kheda District, Ministry of Railways, Special Railway Project, S.O. 1460(E), Nadiad

Geo Tags: India, Gujarat
District: Kheda