Jaipur: Acting on a Supreme Court order and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) directives, the state has barred land-use conversion for housing within 40 metres of national highway centre lines and for commercial activity within 75 metres.The July 27 notification cites that following a Phalodi accident, the Supreme Court on April 13 issued directions to the National Highways Authority of India. MoRTH wrote to the state on May 25, seeking strict enforcement of restrictions along highway corridors across the state.“The Point No. 2(iii) of the letter directs that state govt may take appropriate action as per law to give effect to the directions of the Supreme Court prohibiting change of land use and unauthorised construction within 40 metres (residential) and 75 metres (commercial) from the centre line of any national highway. Accordingly, the state govt issued this notification,” stated an official.Officials agreed that the enforcement may be difficult, especially in urban stretches where private land touches highways and development pressure is intense. Many conversion cases involve plots never acquired for highway purposes but now within the restricted bands.“The problem is that the highway authorities acquired only those pieces of land that were needed to construct or widen the highway by paying compensation. They never acquired lands with this norm in mind. Now, if the authorities want to prohibit these landowners from developing their lands, they may also demand compensation. There have been past instances,” an official stated.A senior Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department official questioned the timing and intent, saying a similar direction came in March but drew no action.“This notification has been issued by the Finance Department. But it is the duty of the UDH and Local Self Govt department to look after the process of land conversion in urban areas and panchayati raj department in case of rural areas. It seems the govt issued this notification as a mere formality,” the official added.
State govt restricted residential and commercial land conversions along National Highways following SC directive
