The HC, analysing the sections of the Indian Electricity Act, 2003 and The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, held that the petition was "devoid of any merits".Emphasising that projects of “national importance”, such as the laying of electricity transmission lines, cannot be stalled by objections of private landowners, the Gujarat High Court recently dismissed petitions of farmers from Morbi district who had challenged an order from the administration, and permitted a transmission company to lay high-voltage lines on their agricultural land.Justice HM Prachchhak dismissed the petitions, citing the accepted legal position that transmission projects aimed at evacuating large-scale renewable energy are matters of larger public interest. The Court agreed with the respondent company’s submission, which stated that “private interests must yield to the larger public good”.The petitioners, who are landowners from Rapar in Morbi district, had sought directions against the state authorities, including the district magistrate and collector of Morbi, who passed an order in July 2025, allowing Halvad Transmission Ltd. to lay an overhead transmission line under the transmission system for evacuation of additional 7GW of RE power from Khawda RE Park.The petitioners’ advocate VB Mehta submitted that no consent had been sought by the authorities from the landowners and that the notice issued in the newspapers, as part of the process, did not specify the lands through which the transmission lines would pass. The counsel also submitted apprehensions raised by the petitioners about the “psychological terror” of having high-voltage transmission lines over fertile fields, stating that it “creates a continuous actionable hazard as agricultural operations require presence from dawn to dusk, these lines pose a life-threatening risk to farmers, laborers, and livestock for the projected 25-year lifespan of the project… and diminish the mental well-being and labour productivity of the rural community.”The HC cited the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in the case of Power Grid Corporation of India that “for laying down any electricity supply-line by the licensee, there is no prior consent required by the licensee under the Indian Electricity Act, 2003…” The HC considered the submissions of senior advocate Percy Kavina on behalf of the transmission company that the petitioners’ obstruction, “based on a purely pecuniary claim for compensation, cannot be allowed to halt a project of national importance” and cited the judgments of various high courts that have held that projects of public interest cannot be obstructed by landowners as the “the balance of convenience lies overwhelmingly with [the company].”The HC, analysing the sections of the Indian Electricity Act, 2003 and The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, held that the petition was “devoid of any merits”. The HC, however, stated that it was open for the petitioners, if they were entitled for compensation, to take the appropriate course of action to “file an application for compensation before the district magistrate”. The court also directed the district magistrate to decide on such applications for compensation made by the landowners “in accordance with law, after affording proper opportunity to the petitioners”.Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... 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