The High Court on Wednesday ordered notice to the Ministry of Defence with regard to a petition filed by land owners seeking directions to stop the firing practice in nine villages in Belagavi district and to shift the Field Firing Range and Artillery Practice to Marihal and Ramadurga villages.
The petitioners are residents and owners of the land located in the villages namely Hangargi, Savgav, Benakanahalli, Mandoli, Navage, Belagundi, Bijagarni, Kuttaalavadi, Bokanar. The petitioners have contended that the State government, without the authority of law, passed an order on November 23, 2012 under Section 9 of the Manoeuvres, Field Firing and Artillery Practice Act, 1938.
The order permits the Indian Army to carry out their training programme and to establish Field Firing Range as Baghdad Asmara Field Firing Range on the land belonging to the petitioners and others. The petitioners said that with the establishment of the Field Firing Range, their land is used for training programme without acquisition of land, affecting the rights of the petitioners.
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