The Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court imposed a fine of ₹30,000 on the state government while allowing it to submit a written response to a 2020 Public Interest Litigation (PIL). This PIL challenges the state government’s notification, which reduced the multiplying factor used to calculate the market value of land, allegedly violating the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
Court Order and Background
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain passed the order, stating:
“The respondents were given a final opportunity on December 19, 2024, to file a written response. Thereafter, an additional week was granted on January 8, 2025, with a clear warning that if the response was not submitted, a fine of ₹15,000 would be imposed. Despite this, no written response was filed.”
The state government requested two more weeks, which the court accepted under the condition that an additional ₹15,000 fine be imposed, along with the previously imposed ₹15,000, to be paid to the Madhya Pradesh High Court Legal Services Committee.
Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and the Issue at Hand
According to the First Schedule of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, the market value of land in rural areas must be multiplied by a factor ranging from 1.0 to 2.0, depending on its distance from an urban area.
The petition argues that the Madhya Pradesh government, through its notification dated September 29, 2014, set this multiplying factor at just 1, which is a direct violation of Section 26(2) and Section 30(2) of the Act.
As per Section 30(2), the Collector must issue individual orders providing compensation to each affected person, specifying the market value and payment details.
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Court Proceedings and State Government’s Response
During the hearing on January 28, 2025, the state government’s counsel stated:
“We need to file a written response. We were unable to do so in time, and we apologize for the delay.”
The petitioner’s lawyer countered by arguing that the state government had already been fined ₹15,000 earlier and still failed to submit a response. They stated:
“They were given a final opportunity in the last two hearings. They have no interest in this case. It is an open-and-shut matter.”
The court then asked how much more time the government needed, to which the counsel requested two weeks.
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Expressing its dissatisfaction, the court remarked:
“This PIL was filed in 2020. Neither are you filing a response nor are you complying with court orders. Since there is no interim order, you seem unconcerned. Five years have passed—how many more decades do you need?”
The case is now scheduled for the week of February 17, 2025.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court took a strict stance against the state government’s negligence, imposing fines while allowing it to file a response. The case revolves around the alleged violation of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, where the government reduced the multiplying factor for market value calculation. The petition, filed by the Narmada Bachao Andolan, challenges this change, and the next hearing is set for February 17, 202
