Mumbai, March 28 As many as 57 tribunals have been appointed in Maharashtra to expedite the disposal of over 28,000 pending land acquisition claims linked to national highway projects, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Saturday.
Pending land acquisition claims often delay compensation to farmers and also slow down national highway projects, he said in a statement.
"Considering the seriousness of the issue, we pursued the matter with the Centre. With the appointment of 57 new tribunals, around 28,000 pending cases will be resolved within a stipulated timeframe. This move follows directions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and sustained coordination with the Centre, including meetings with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari," he added.
According to the statement, a large number of cases related to enhanced compensation for land acquisition under National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects have remained pending for several years. Some cases have been pending for over three years, it added.
The newly appointed tribunals comprise 57 officers of the rank of additional commissioners and additional district magistrates, who will function across Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati and Nagpur divisions, the statement informed.
"District collectors have been directed to convene meetings with NHAI project directors and land acquisition officers to allocate pending cases to these tribunals for faster disposal. To ensure administrative efficiency, all claims related to a single award will be assigned to the same tribunal," it said.
Divisional commissioners will conduct monthly reviews of the tribunals' functioning, while funds for manpower and operational expenses will be provided through the NHAI, the statement added.