- (1.) Rattan Singh and 26 others, who are agriculturists and are residents of village Dhanas falling in U.T.Chandigarh, have filed this petition under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, praying for issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari quashing the notification dated 30.1.2006 (Annexure P3) under Section 4, as well as the notification dated 15.2.2006 (Annexure P4) under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short C.W.P.3996 of 2006 'the Act') whereby their land measuring 162.5 acres situated in the revenue estate of village Dhanas, Hadbast No.15, has been acquired by invoking the urgency provisions under Section 17 of the Act.
(2.) In short, the facts giving rise to the present writ petition are that the abovesaid land of the petitioners has been acquired by the respondents- Chandigarh Administration vide the impugned notifications by invoking the urgency provisions contained in Section 17 of the Act, with the alleged object of "rehabilitation of slum dwellers in a time bound manner as the squatters are sitting on the acquired land and the important projects held up for want of their shifting." Thus the petitioners have been deprived of the opportunity to file objections under Section 5-A to the notification dated 30.1.2006 (Annexure P3) issued under Section 4 of the Act.
(3.) A detailed written statement has been filed on behalf of the respondents whereby the allegations contained in the writ petition have been controverted.;