Summary
The Court restored land-acquisition compensation at Rs.10 lakh per acre to claimants who approached it 2,928 days late, giving parity with similarly situated landowners under the same acquisition. A pragmatic approach to fair compensation justified condoning delay, while equities were balanced by denying interest on enhanced compensation and the statutory amount for the period of delay.
Issues
- Whether belated claimants could receive the compensation already restored to similarly situated landowners.
- Whether interest was payable for the period of delay.
Held
- Similarly placed landowners were entitled to parity in fair and just compensation. Delay should not defeat the substantive compensation claim through a pedantic approach where compensation under the same acquisition had already been restored for others. (¶¶ 8, 9, 10, 11)
- Equities were balanced by excluding interest on enhanced compensation and the statutory amount for the 2,928-day delay in approaching the Court. (¶¶ 11, 12)
Result
Appeal partly allowed. The High Court order was set aside and the Reference Court award of Rs.10 lakh per acre restored for the appellants, without interest on enhanced compensation and the statutory amount for the 2,928-day delay.