Pune: Supreme Court Directs PMC To Pay Rs 3.46 Crore To Ved Bhavan In Lieu Of Land For Chandani Chowk Flyover

Pune, 18th January 2024: The Supreme Court of India has issued a judgment in favour of Ved Bhavan, resolving a longstanding dispute with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) over the compensation for 529.66 square meters of land during the construction of the flyover at Chandni Chowk (NDA Chowk). The court has rejected PMC’s plea and directed the civic body to pay compensation amounting to Rs 3 crore 46 lakh 43 thousand 221 to Ved Bhavan.

The controversy arose during the widening of the Pashan-NDA road bridge to alleviate traffic congestion at Chandni Chowk. As part of the infrastructure development, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) needed to acquire 529.66 square meters of land from Ved Bhavan. The site was originally awarded by the Government with a provision that the land would be returned free of charge when required for public interest projects.

As the land acquisition process commenced, PMC contested the compensation owed to Ved Bhavan. Ved Bhavan filed a petition in the High Court against PMC’s stance, resulting in a ruling in favour of Ved Bhavan. The High Court ordered PMC to deposit Rs 3 crore 46 lakh as compensation in the state treasury. Despite PMC’s appeal to the Supreme Court, the court has upheld the decision in favour of Ved Bhavan.

Apart from the land, Ved Bhavan also sought compensation for the removal of trees and the boundary wall on its premises, which were affected during the acquisition. PMC has been directed to pay an additional amount of Rs 3 lakh 34 thousand 147 for these damages.

Advocate Nisha Chavan, PMC’s Chief Legal Adviser, commented, “PMC had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court in the Ved Bhavan case, but it has been rejected.”