In a significant ruling prioritizing national defence, the Rajasthan High Court has dismissed a series of petitions filed by farmers and landowners challenging the acquisition of their land for a new strategic airbase near the India-Pakistan border. The court firmly stated that public interest in matters of national security outweighs individual concerns.
Court's Verdict on National Security vs. Individual Rights
Justice Nupur Bhati, delivering the judgment on December 18 at the principal seat in Jodhpur, upheld the acquisition process for the Forward Composite Aviation Base in Sriganganagar district. The court underscored that for projects integral to national security, the compelling public and strategic interest is of the highest order and cannot be compromised.
The bench was clear in its assessment of the petitions. It observed that the writ petitions were essentially a "misconceived attempt" to derail a lawfully concluded acquisition process on hyper-technical grounds. The court emphasized that the project is of vital national importance and such attempts only hinder critical infrastructure development.
Details of the Acquisition and Petitioners' Claims
The acquisition involves a total of 130.349 hectares of private land and 2.476 hectares of government land in the Chak 21 SDS area within Sadulshahar tehsil. A group of fifty-nine affected farmers and landowners had approached the court, opposing the takeover.
Their primary arguments centered on alleged violations of mandatory procedure. The petitioners contended that authorities failed to conduct a proper public hearing, skipped a social impact assessment, did not present a rehabilitation plan, and that the compensation process was flawed.
Court Finds Process Legally Sound
However, the High Court meticulously examined the process and concluded that the entire acquisition was conducted in strict conformity with the law. The judgment stated that all statutory requirements concerning the right to hearing, land survey, expert assessment, and rehabilitation and resettlement were scrupulously followed.
"The acquisition, being integrally connected with an overriding national security objective, subserves a compelling public and strategic interest of the highest order," the court noted in its ruling, leaving no room for ambiguity about the project's priority.
Strategic Importance of the Sadulshahar Airbase
The location of the new Sadulshahar airbase is itself a statement of strategic intent. It will be situated merely 40 kilometres from the international border with Pakistan. This will make it the second Air Force station in Sriganganagar district, complementing the existing Suratgarh Air Force Station.
This development is part of a broader initiative by the Ministry of Defence to strengthen military infrastructure along the Rajasthan border, a focus area since Operation Sindoor. The enhanced capability will allow Indian fighter jets to reach key Pakistani airbases, including those at Jacobabad, Bholari, and Rahimyar Khan, in significantly reduced time, bolstering India's defensive and responsive posture in the western sector.
