Vedanta's land acquisition for university in Odisha quashed by Supreme Court

Vedanta’s 17-year-old plan to build a 15,000-acre Vedanta University in Odisha just got a shocker from India’s top court. The Supreme Court has quashed the acquisition of 6,000 acres of land by Vedanta, accusing it of malafide intentions. The Supreme Court upheld a 2010 verdict by the Odisha HC that had held the land acquisition to be illegal.

Vedanta had expressed intent to develop a world class university in Puri in Odisha in 2006. It had sought 15,000 acres of contiguous land from the Odisha government which had authorised the acquisition of 12,000 acres of land, with possession of 3,837 acres being granted. This acquisition was struck down by the Odisha HC in 2010.

The Supreme Court also lashed out at the Odisha government, stating that it seemed to have extended undue benefits to Vedanta. The bench of SC, headed by Justice MR Shah, held that the Odisha government's actions were vitiated by favouritism.