Chandigarh, March 4 -- Taking a stern view of the fact that national highway projects in Punjab are getting delayed as possession of land has not been fully handed over, the Punjab and Haryana high court issued a series of directions, including non-disruption to projects of national importance. The court directed the Punjab government to ensure the encumbrance-free possession of land for national highway projects, particularly the Delhi-Katra Expressway.

The court also stated that all obstructions hindering the execution of national highway projects must be curbed within two weeks, including pending statutory notifications and arbitration cases.

The bench of justice Sureshwar Thakur and justice Kuldeep Tiwari made it clear that unnecess...