• Source:JND
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Mandola Housing Scheme: While the much-hyped Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is almost ready for vehicular use, a legal dispute over a 1,600 sq m land in Ghaziabad's Mandola has caused a delay. While the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has emphasised the importance of the piece of land for the project, the landowner has refused to provide it, mentioning its historic significance. The Supreme Court has also intervened in the matter, urging the speedy resolution of the dispute.

However, this is not the first time that the landowners are refusing to provide their land for any project. The UP Housing Board had issued a notification for its Mandola Housing Scheme in 1998 to acquire 2,614 acres of land from six villages near the Delhi-Ghaziabad border.

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While most of the families agreed to accept the offer, Veersan (then house owner) refused and moved to Allahabad High Court, seeking a stay on the project. The court, in its order, stayed the acquisition of his plot, further asking the authorities to not put pressure on the landowners.

After almost three decades, as the NHAI now has acquired land for the expressway project, Lakshyaveer (Saroha’s grandson) has intervened and further challenged the takeover of the land. The apex court has referred the case to the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench to resolve it by April 16. The court also pointed out the importance of the expressway, as it is expected to significantly cut the travel time between the two cities.

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"The Lucknow bench has scheduled a hearing on April 16. There are also Supreme Court directions to expedite the case as the project is in the larger interest of people and the opening of the expressway depends on it," a person associated with the case was quoted as saying by the Times of India. The NHAI officials stated that they had offered a fair price to the landowners, adding that the land is crucial for the completion of the project.