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Supreme Court bats against transfer of community resources
Why is it in news?
- The Government has no right to transfer “invaluable” community resources like village water ponds to a few powerful people and industrialists for commercialisation of the property, the Supreme Court has held.
More in news
- Highlights of the judgement
(1) The State cannot divest villagers of their existing source of water even if it promises to provide them an alternative site where the water body can be replicated.
(2) Such an attitude would display “a mechanical application of environmental protection.
(3) There is no guarantee that the adverse effect of destroying the existing water body would be offset and people would be compelled to travel miles to access the alternative site.
- Protection of common areas is a fundamental right
(1) Protection of such village commons is essential to safeguard the fundamental right guaranteed by Article 21 of our Constitution.
(2) These common areas are the lifeline of village communities, and often sustain various chores and provide resources necessary for life
- More about the case
(1) The judgment came on a plea by activist-lawyer Jitendra Singh against the transfer of village ponds’ sites of Saini Village in the National Capital Region to some private industrialists by the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority.
(2) NGT order: The National Green Tribunal had refused to intervene on Mr. Singh’s plea that excavators and other heavy machinery were attempting to take over a common pond used by the villagers for a century.
Source
The Hindu