After seeking reply from Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Gas Transportation Infrastructure Ltd (RGTIL) and others on Monday, the Supreme Court on Thursday again issued notice to the firm, the ministry of petroleum and others on another batch of petitions filed by land owners from Surat seeking adequate compensation from the company for using their land for laying gas pipelines to transport natural gas from Krishna-Godavari basin to Gujarat.
A Bench headed by B Sudershan Reddy while issuing notice to RGTIL, the ministry, the Gujarat government, and other land revenue authorities allowed the land owners to withdraw a writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of the
Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act 1962.
Earlier on Monday, another Bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam had sought reply from the company and other parties on similar SLP challenging the Gujarat high court judgment that asked them to approach trial court for their compensation claims.
As reported earlier by FE, around 52 land owners have sought compensation as per the prevailing market rate from the date on which the Mukesh Ambani company had taken the possession of their land for laying pipelines that ripped through Krishna Industrial Estate. Besides, they have sought a direction to the Central government and RGTIL to rehabilitate them by providing alternative plots for total deprivation of their land for the pipelines.
Alleging that the firm had ”snatched their livelihood,” the petitioners said that they should be paid adequate compensation as per the market value rather than illusory compensation of just 10% of the market value as provided under Section 10 (4) of the Act.
Under Section 9 of the Act, no construction or agriculture activity is allowed on the land under which pipelines are laid as such activities can cause damage to the pipeline.