The Maharashtra government faced sharp criticism from the Supreme Court on Wednesday for its failure to compensate a private party for acquired property. The court expressed its displeasure at the state government’s casual approach towards its orders, stating that it should not treat every court directive lightly. This stern warning came during a hearing on a matter concerning the construction of buildings on forest land in Maharashtra. The Supreme Court further directed the Maharashtra government to clarify its stance on compensating the private party for the loss of their land, a matter raised in a previous order.
The court pointed out the irony of the state government having funds allocated for freebie schemes like ‘Ladli Behna’ and ‘Ladka Bhau’ but lacking the resources to compensate for land loss, as reported by PTI. The Maharashtra government was given until August 13 to file its response to the court’s directives. The bench, comprising Justices B R Gavai, K V Viswanathan, and Sandeep Mehta, warned that if the order is not complied with, the state’s chief secretary will be required to appear before the court.
The Maharashtra government defended its actions by claiming that the disputed land was previously occupied by the Armament Research Development Establishment Institute (ARDEI), a unit under the Centre’s defense department. They argued that a different piece of land was allotted to the private party in exchange for the ARDEI-occupied land. However, it was later discovered that the land allotted to the private party was designated as forest land, as reported by PTI.
Freebies schemes of Maharashtra govt:
’Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’
This scheme, announced earlier this year, aims to transfer ₹ 1,500 into the bank accounts of eligible women aged 21 to 65 years. The eligibility criteria include a family income of less than ₹ 2.5 lakh.
’Ladka Bhau Yojana’
The primary objective of this scheme is to provide financial assistance and practical work experience to young men.
