Supreme Court Upholds Landowners' Rights

The Supreme Court declared that the State cannot acquire land without compensation, reinforcing that the right to property remains a constitutional right. A bench dismissed Himachal Pradesh's appeals against a high court ruling mandating compensation for acquired lands used in road construction.

The Supreme Court of India reaffirmed the constitutional right to property on Friday, ruling that states cannot acquire land from citizens without paying proper compensation. This decision arose from a case involving the Himachal Pradesh government, which challenged a high court ruling that protected landowners' rights.

Although the right to property is not deemed a fundamental right anymore, the apex court emphasized its status as a constitutional right. It firmly ruled against the state's appeals, asserting that taking possession of citizens' land without compensation is unjust.

The case highlighted repeated instances where the Himachal Pradesh government failed to compensate landowners for lands acquired for road construction. The Supreme Court considered imposing exemplary costs on the state for these actions but chose to simply dismiss the state's petitions instead.

(With inputs from agencies.)