- (1.) Petitioner, who is a Dalit landless widow, by way of the present Public Interest Litigation has prayed for the following reliefs: - i. for issuance of an appropriate direction upon the respondent No. 2 to constitute Bhoodan Yagna Committee in terms of Section 3 of the Jharkhand Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954 on the basis of recommendation made by the Sarva Seva Sangh (Akhil Bharat Sarvodaya Mandal) vide Memo No. 30/2014-15 dated 6.5.2014 and memo no. 33/2014-15 dated 7.5.2014. ii. for issuance of direction upon the authority concern to constitute high level enquiry by an independent agency against land grabbing of Bhoodan Land by politician and land mafias and after completion of an enquiry a regular criminal case may be initiated against the wrongdoer and erring officer who are/were involved in grabbing of Bhoodan Land and its respective beneficiaries may also be brought under purview of an enquiry. iii. for issuance of direction upon the respondent No. 4 to allocate remaining Bhoodan Land amongst landless person of village community, Gram Panehayat or a co-operative society organised by the Committee in terms of Section 14 of the Jharkhand Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954. iv. for issuance of directions upon the respondent authority to provide protection to the guarantee of Bhoodan Land from enactment in terms of Section 14-A of the Jharkhand Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954 and distribution of land must be settled before the distribution in favour of the grantee in terms of Section 16 of the Jharkhand Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954. v. for issuance of direction upon the authority concern not to eject landless persons from lawful possession of the Bhoodan Lands and to take action in terms of Section 22 of the said Act and for direction to impose penalty upon pesons who are in unlawful possession of Bhoodan Land in terms of Section 23-A of the Jharkhand Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954.
(2.) The background of the case is that Bhoodan-Gramdan movement had been initiated by Archaya Vinoba Bhave, one of the great spiritual leaders and reformers of modern India, whose work and personal example moved the hearts of countless Indians.
(3.) The erstwhile State of Bihar had enacted the Bihar Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1954 to facilitate the donation of land in connection with the Bhoodan Yagna and further to provide for the settlement of the same with the landless person or with a village community, Gram Panehayat or with co-operative society organised by the Bhoodan Yagna Committee.;