HC paves way for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project; dismisses plea of Godrej & Boyce against land acquisition

Describing the Bullet Train project as of “national importance and public interest”, the Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by the Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co Ltd challenging the Maharashtra government's grant of Rs 264 crore in compensation for acquiring its land for the ambitious project.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) is the pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The project passes through Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Maharashtra.

The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) is executing the project.

“The project is of national importance and public interest. No interference is required. No illegality found in the compensation,” a division bench comprising Justice R D Dhanuka and Justice M M Sathaye said.

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“The petitioner has not made out a case for us to exercise our extra-jurisdictional powers. It is the paramount collective interest that would prevail and not the private interest. The project would be the first of its kind,” the bench noted.

The Godrej had challenged the award and compensation of Rs 264 crore by the Deputy Collector on 15 September, 2022 for acquiring 39,252 sq mts (9.69 acre) saying that it was much less than the Rs 572 crore offered initially.

Godrej Group’s lawyer Senior Counsel Navroz Seervai had sought a stay on the order to enable them appeal in the Supreme Court.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni had told the court that the acquisition was complete except for the stretch belonging to Godrej.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh argued that the entire land acquisition in Gujarat was complete and the work had started, while in Maharashtra, 3 percent of the acquisition process was remaining to be done.