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Judgment
This writ petition has been filed by as many as 106 petitioners, who are all residents of Rattacherra, East Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya, aggrieved by the action of the respondent-State in making used of their lands, mostly agricultural in nature, for the purpose of laying down pipelines under the Natural Rural Drinking Water Programme sponsored by the State Government without acquisition and without the payment of compensation.
Essentially, the petitioners approached this Court alleging that the respondent-State used their lands without their consent and without lawfully acquiring of the same for laying down pipelines and without paying compensation to them.
When the matter was listed before this Court on 18.02.2020, the Court was informed that the work of pipelines has not progressed further. The Court then required the learned Addl.Sr.GA to obtain specific instructions as to whether the department is still intending to acquire the land at this point of time and file an affidavit to that effect. Learned Addl.Sr.GA submitted that the scheme for laying pipelines for water supply was being implemented under the Natural Rural Drinking Water Programme. There is no component of payment of money for land compensation in that Scheme. Owing to this, the respondent-State has abandoned the Project in 2016 itself and they now no longer require to use the land of the petitioners.
In view of the above, the petitioners would be free to make use of their lands in the manner they want. If part of the Scheme was implemented and some constructions were made, the respondent-State would be free to remove the same within a fortnight, failing which the petitioners shall be entitled to remove the same on their own.
With the above observations, this writ petition is disposed of.