The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002

Chapter III Prevention of Unauthorised Occupation of Highway Land and Their Removal

23. Highway land to be deemed as property of Central Government.-

1.  All lands forming parts of a Highway which vest in the Central Government or which do not already vest in the Central Government but have been acquired for the purpose of Highway shall, for the purposes of this Act, and other Central Acts, be deemed to be the property of the Central Government as owner thereof.

2.  The Highway Administration shall cause to be maintained a record in the prescribed manner in which the particulars of the lands, relating to the Highway, of which the Central Government is the owner shall be entered and the entries of the particulars of such lands in any record maintained for such purpose before the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to be the entry of the particulars of such lands made in the first said record and accordingly the Central Government shall be deemed to be the owner of the lands regarding which the entries have been made in such records maintained before the commencement of this Act.

3.  Any person claiming against the ownership of the Central Government referred to in sub-section (2) shall make written complaint to the Highway Administration and prove his claim before it and the Highway Administration, after considering the evidence produced by such person, may correct such records or reject the claim.