A 42-year wait for 133 victims who lost their shops and businesses in Amritsar during Operation Blue Star is nearing its end following a key ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In a major relief to the affected individuals, the High Court directed the Punjab government to allocate alternative land at Maal Mandi under the 1988 Corridor Project at the originally fixed rate of ₹1,000 per square yard. During the hearing, the court took a firm stance against the government's decision to hike the land prices, noting that the victims have been enduring the pain of displacement for nearly four decades. The bench emphasized that the state administration should have approached the matter with empathy and compassion. Concluding the proceedings, the High Court instructed the government to use the historical baseline rate to allot the alternative plots to the impacted families. According to the victims, their legal battle regarding the land and business properties was remanded back to the High Court by the Supreme Court in 2017. During the subsequent proceedings, the displaced individuals were initially asked to deposit funds at a rate of ₹10,000 per square yard. Later, in January 2020, a decision was made to allot the land at ₹14,450 per square yard. However, in July 2022, the Punjab government significantly increased the rate to ₹38,400 per square yard. The victims challenged the government's sharp rate increase in the High Court, requesting a reduction back to the historical rates. With the High Court's latest directive overruling the price hike, the path is now clear to provide alternative land to the 133 affected victims, bringing a long-pending 42-year issue closer to resolution.