In Brief
The appellants' land was acquired in 1981 for dam construction. In 2011, they sought release of the land under a 2001 government resolution permitting re-grant of land deemed unnecessary for public purposes. The High Court rejected their plea, holding that land acquired for public purpose cannot be re-granted. The Supreme Court upheld this, finding the re-grant policy unconstitutional under Article 14 as it lacked valid criteria and ignored the public trust doctrine. The Court struck down the policy but permitted the State to frame a new rehabilitation policy for displaced persons rendered landless by acquisition, within three months."
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