The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday, August 28 accused the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra for playing 'Dilly-Dallying Tactics' and warned that it will stop freebies like the Ladki Bahin Yojna if it does not pay up the compensation due.
The apex court on Wednesday summoned Additional Chief Secretary of Maharashtra's Revenue and Forest Department, Rajesh Kumar, to appear before it to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him in the case of multi-storeyed buildings in forest land in the state.
A three-judge bench of comprising Justices BR Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan decided to summon Kumar after noting that certain comments in the affidavit filed by Kumar on behalf of the State were prima facie contemptuous. The Bench was hearing a matter related to the compliance with its earlier order directing payment of compensatory afforestation levy by the State in connection with denotification of forest land at Pune's Pashan.
The top has directed that the state government should submit a fresh affidavit in this matter soon and the secretary of the forest department should look into the matter. The grand coalition government had announced the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladaki Baheen Yojana in the latest budget.
Through the scheme, the state government will give an instalment of Rs. 1500 per month to women from economically weaker sections. Two instalments of this scheme have been deposited in the accounts of eligible women. The Chief Minister and both the Deputy Chief Ministers are seen promoting this scheme ahead of assembly elections in the state.
The apex court took a dig at Maharashtra Budget 2024-25 under which various sops amounting to R 96,000 crores were announced ahead of the State Assembly elections later this year. The court said if the order was not followed by August 28, the State's Chief Secretary may need to be summoned and recent schemes announced in the budget would be stopped.
During the hearing today, the Court noted that the Maharashtra counsel was unable to provide clear answers regarding compensation rates. It expressed frustration with the Maharashtra government's apparent lack of seriousness in handling the matter.
About the Case:
The TN Godavarman case was being heard before a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan. A plaintiff had claimed that his ancestors had purchased 24 acres of land in Pune in the year 1950. In 1963, when the land was acquired by the Maharashtra state government, he filed a suit in Supreme Court and the judgment ruled in favour of the plaintiff. After that, the order was demanded to be implemented. However, the state government said that this land has been given to the defence organisation.
The defence agency said it was not a party to the dispute and therefore could not remove them from there. Thereafter, the applicant approached the Bombay High Court requesting that an alternative land be allotted to him. But the High Court had given harsh words to the state for not allotting alternative land even after 10 years. Subsequently, in 2004, the applicant was finally given alternative land.
The Central Empowered Committee then told the applicant that the land was part of a notified forest area. But since the petitioners were not paid, the matter has approached in the Supreme Court.