HC stays cancellation of land allotment for water reservoir in Mokokchung

DIMAPUR — The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court has stayed the cancellation of a land allotment granted to a resident of Yimyu Ward in Mokokchung, which had been used for constructing a water reservoir supplying water to jail inmates and residents of the locality.

The order was passed by Justice Yarenjungla Longkumer on October 7 in connection with a writ petition filed by the resident, M Wabangtemjen, against the state government and Nagaland Police, seeking to quash the termination of his temporary land allotment.

According to the petition, the land was originally allotted to the petitioner for building a reservoir to provide water to the District Jail and nearby residents.

An agreement was executed on November 8, 2012, with the Superintendent of Prison, Mokokchung, under which the petitioner had been maintaining the facility for several years “and many people are dependent on it for sustenance and this has also become a source of livelihood for the petitioner and also many other unemployed persons.”

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“However, without considering the above factors, the land allotted to the petitioner for the water reservoir was arbitrarily cancelled and another notice was issued by the respondents directing the petitioner to dismantle the structure constructed in the allotted site.

“Temporary allotment of land granted to the petitioner was also cancelled without any notice,” read the order.

After hearing both sides, the court observed that the matter required consideration and, in the interest of justice, stayed the impugned meeting minutes dated April 9, 2025, the termination order dated April 17, 2025, and the notice dated April 15, 2025, until the next hearing.