SSPA CEO's properties attached over unpaid land compensation

In Vadodara, the movable properties of the CEO of the Sardar Sarovar Punarvasvat Agency (SSPA) were attached by court order on Thursday. This unusual action follows the failure of a land acquisition officer to pay farmers in Dabhoi taluka their due compensation. The Dabhoi civil court ordered the attachment of items from the SSPA CEO’s office and the land acquisition officer’s office on March 19. Advocate Medha Patel, representing the farmers, stated that the attachment included office items like chairs and computers. Farmers in Dabhoi had their land acquired in 1989 for the Narmada dam project. They were promised Rs 55,000 per acre but were later offered significantly less—Rs 23,000 per hectare. Many farmers accepted this offer but with objections and later sought additional compensation through the courts. The case went through various courts before reaching the Gujarat High Court in 2019. The high court directed the Dabhoi court to assess the land's market value. In December 2023, the Dabhoi court set the compensation at around Rs 30 crore but payment was not made. After unsuccessful attempts to settle the payment, the farmers filed for execution and obtained a warrant for the attachment of the SSPA office properties in January 2025. The court action was taken after the land acquisition officer failed to meet a promised payment deadline in February.