Central Government Notifies Land Acquisition for Road Over Bridge Project in Gujarat

The Ministry of Railways, through its Western Railways (Construction Organisation), issued a Notification, S.O. 738(E), on February 12, 2025, declaring its intention to acquire land for a significant Special Railway Project in Gujarat. This instrument, published in the Official Gazette, was issued in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (I) of section 20A of the Railways Act, 1989 (24 of 1989). The Central Government, having been satisfied that the land is required for a public purpose, specifically for the construction of a 2-lane Road Over Bridge (ROB) in lieu of Level Crossing (LC) No. 248 at Km 418/6-8 between the Varodara-Geratpur section of Vadodara Division on Western Railway, initiated the acquisition process. The notification detailed the specific parcels of land, primarily private agricultural land, located in the Anand District of Gujarat, which are slated for acquisition. The total area to be acquired amounts to 7262 square meters across various survey numbers in the Anand and Vasad Talukas. The notification came into force upon its publication in the Official Gazette, marking the commencement of the statutory period for objections.

The legislative intent behind this notification is to facilitate crucial railway infrastructure development, aligning with the broader policy rationale of enhancing safety and operational efficiency across the Indian railway network. The Railways Act, 1989, provides the statutory framework for such acquisitions, enabling the Central Government to acquire land for railway projects deemed to be for public purpose. This particular project addresses the need to replace a level crossing with a Road Over Bridge, a common measure to eliminate potential hazards and reduce traffic congestion, thereby improving the flow of both road and rail traffic. 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. 248 at Km 418/6-8 between section Varodara-Geratpur of Vadodara Division on Western Railway in the State of Gujarat, hereby declares its intention to acquired such land”. This declaration underscores the government's commitment to modernizing railway infrastructure. Any person interested in the said land is afforded a period of thirty days from the date of publication of this Notification in the Official Gazette to raise objections to the acquisition and use of such land. These objections, to be made in writing to the Competent Authority, namely the Prant officer Anand, District Anand, must set out the grounds thereof. The Competent Authority is mandated to provide the objector an opportunity of being heard, either in person or through a legal practitioner, and may conduct further inquiry before issuing a final order under sub-section (II) of section 20D of the said Act. The land plans and other details pertinent to the land covered under this notification are available for inspection at the office of the Competent Authority, ensuring transparency in the process.

Keywords: Land Acquisition, Railways Act 1989, Road Over Bridge, Gujarat, Public Purpose, Infrastructure Project, Notification, Western Railway

Geo Tags: India, Gujarat
District: Anand