Patna Metro Depot to Stay: HC Rejects Landowners’ Demand for Land Return

Patna: In a major relief for the Bihar government, the Patna High Court on Thursday dismissed multiple appeals filed by landowners challenging the land acquisition for the much-awaited Patna Metro Depot and Terminal. With this decision, the court has cleared the way for the project’s construction at its designated location.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Parth Sarathi ruled that the state government is not obligated to provide increased compensation for the acquired land, thereby modifying an earlier single bench order that had directed the government to update compensation based on revised circle rates.

The dispute arose over land earmarked for the Metro Rail Terminal and Depot in Bairia, Patna. Several landowners had filed petitions claiming that dense settlements existed in the area and that the government had failed to provide a rehabilitation plan under the new Land Acquisition Act.

In December 2023, a single bench led by Justice Anil Kumar Sinha had dismissed the landowners’ plea, stating that relocating the metro yard was not feasible in the larger public interest. However, the bench had directed the government to increase compensation.

Unhappy with this ruling, multiple landowners, including Ranjit Kumar and Lalita Devi, appealed before a division bench, demanding the return of their land. They argued that resettling over a hundred families in Patna city was impractical.

Advocate General P.K. Shahi, along with Advocate Kinkar Kumar, represented the state government, arguing that the metro construction was already in progress and over ₹100 crore had been spent on the depot project. On the other hand, senior Supreme Court lawyer Akhil Sibal represented the landowners.

The petitioners contended that they were not given a fair chance to raise objections during the land acquisition process. They alleged that objections were settled within just two days—from June 1 to June 3, 2021—following a newspaper notice, making the process legally questionable.

With the court’s verdict, the Patna Metro project is expected to gain momentum. The affected landowners, however, will have to settle for the previously determined compensation without any increase.

This ruling marks a significant step forward for the metro project, which aims to enhance public transportation in the state capital and ease traffic congestion.