(Annexure-P/6) addressed to the District Public Grievance Redressal Officer informed that his office requested to provide the requisition but the same till date has not been provided.

Patna High Court CWJC No.7306 of 2024 dt.04-03-2025 4/7

4. It is submitted that when no action was taken, the petitioner again submitted a representation dated 16.01.2024 before the District Magistrate, Madhepura and the Superintendent of Police, Madhepura. The Officer-In-Charge, District Janta Darbar, Madhepura vide letter no. 109 dated 18.01.2024 (Annexure-P/7) forwarded the letter of the petitioner dated 16.01.2024 to the District Land Acquisition Officer, Madhepura and the Executive Engineer, Rural Works Department, Udakishunganj, Madhepura to take action in accordance with law and to inform about the same.

5. Learned counsel for the petitioner next submits that a counter affidavit has been filed on behalf of the Executive Engineer, Rural Works Department, Udakishunganj, Madhepura (respondent no. 3) wherein at para 7, it has been recorded that the Circle Officer, Gwalpara vide his letter no. 92-2 dated 16.02.2023 (Annexure-A) has submitted the measurement report of the land in dispute recording therein that the land in dispute is coming in the alignment of the project. Thereafter, at para 8, it has been stated that in terms of Annexure-A, the respondent no. 3 vide his letter no. 151 dated 23.02.2023 (Annexure-B) has requested the District Land Acquisition Officer, Madhepura to initiate the process of acquiring the land in dispute under the provision of the Land Patna High Court CWJC No.7306 of 2024 dt.04-03-2025 5/7 Acquisition Act, 2013 and to get evaluation of the land in dispute carried out so that the compensation amount may be requisitioned from the department and paid to the petitioner. Further, at para 10, it has been pleaded that the work has been stopped due to firing made by the petitioner and other accused at work site for which an FIR being Gowalpara P.S. Case No. 13 of 2024 dated 20.01.2024 (Annexure-C) has been instituted.

6. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submits that from the facts as recorded hereinabove, it becomes manifestly clear that the land of the petitioner was taken by the respondent authorities in the year 2022 for the aforesaid project but then neither the land was acquired nor any compensation was paid and the petitioner was made to run from pillar to post. It is further submitted that the Circle Officer, Gwalpara based on the representation of the petitioner had directed the Anchal Amin to get the land measured and the same was measured in the year 2022 wherein it was clearly recorded that the land was required for the aforesaid project but then also no action was taken which led the petitioner to file an application before the District Public Grievance Redressal Forum in which the District Land Acquisition Officer, Madhepura submitted his reply before the forum recording therein that he has already requested the Acquiring Department to Patna High Court CWJC No.7306 of 2024 dt.04-03-2025 6/7 send the requisition for acquiring the land in dispute but then no action has been taken. It is next submitted that one can well imagine the plight of a person whose land has been taken forcefully without paying compensation by the State Authorities, as such, it is submitted that there was a skirmish on the land when the authorities came but then an FIR came to be instituted. It is also submitted that since respondent no. 3 i.e. the Department which requires the land has filed a counter affidavit pleading therein that he has already requested the District Land Acquisition Officer, Madhepura to acquire the land in dispute for the aforesaid project, as such, now the authorities should acquire the land in accordance with law and pay compensation to the petitioner.

7. Learned State Counsel at this stage submits that the writ petition can be disposed of with a direction to the District Land Acquisition Officer, Madhepura to initiate the process for acquiring the land and thereafter to pay the compensation amount to the petitioner on which learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submits that petitioner is running from pillar to post, as such, while disposing of the writ application a time frame should also be recorded.

8. After hearing the learned counsel for the parties, the writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the District Land Patna High Court CWJC No.7306 of 2024 dt.04-03-2025 7/7 Acquisition Officer, Madhepura to initiate the proceeding of acquiring the land in terms of the requisition made by the respondent no. 3 as pleaded in his counter affidavit within a period of one month from the date of receipt/production of a copy of this order.

9. It is made clear that the authorities will ensure that the amount of compensation in accordance with law is paid to the petitioner within a period of two months thereafter.

(Satyavrat Verma, J) Kundan/-