The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has sought response from the Ayodhya administration on charges that it is encroaching upon a large chunk of land illegally and forcing owners to sell their property at cheap rate for an airport. 

The Bench directed the district magistrate, SDM and tehsildar concerned to appear before it on June 29 through video conferencing to explain their factual position on the allegations levelled in the petition.

In the plea, one Panchram Prajapati and others alleged that their land is being forcibly taken for the airport at Daramdaspur Shahadat village without their consent or following provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.

They also alleged that no criteria has been fixed to acquire or purchase land for the project.

Considering the plea, the Bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Saurabh Lavania asked the DM, SDM and tehsildar to explain the criteria on which the land is being taken from the locals.