Compensate for pvt party land or will freeze freebies, Maharashtra told

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has warned the Maharashtra government of suspending its freebie schemes unless it pays compensation to a private party whose land was “illegally” occupied by the state more than six decades ago.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan noted on Wednesday that the land belonging to the applicant was illegally taken in possession by the state and later allotted to the Armament Research Development Establishment Institute.

The bench said the state has huge amount to “waste on freebies” but no money to compensate a private party, which lost land to it “illegally”.

Observing that Maharashtra’s conduct in the matter was not that of a “model state”, the court warned that it may direct that all freebie schemes be suspended until the compensation was paid. While the state has offered to pay Rs 37.42 crore as compensation, the applicant’s counsel has contended that it comes to Rs 317 crore, it noted.

Maharashtra’s counsel Nishant R Katneshwarkar urged the bench to grant three weeks, saying the matter was being considered at the highest level. “We will grant you three weeks and pass an interim order that until we permit, no freebies schemes should be implemented in Maharashtra. We will stop Ladli Bahin, Ladka Bhau,” the bench said.