In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld land acquisition proceedings for the integrated development of the Yamuna Expressway and adjoining areas in Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. Though covering 12,868 landowners, only 140 challenged the acquisition. The Court held that invoking urgency provisions under the Land Acquisition Act 1894 to dispense with public objection hearings was legally justified, as the expressway and adjoining residential, commercial, and recreational development form one inseparable project serving public interest. A High Court judgment validating the acquisition with 64.7% enhanced compensation was upheld; a conflicting judgment quashing it was overruled as overlooking binding precedent. The Court dismissed landowner appeals but allowed developer appeals.
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