Punjab-Haryana High Court
Sadhna And Anr vs National Highway Authority Of India And ... on 3 November, 2016
Author: Surya Kant
Bench: Surya Kant
IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
Civil Writ Petition No.22630 of 2016.
Date of Decision: November 03, 2016
Smt.Sadhna and another ......Petitioners
versus
National Highway Authority of India and others .....Respondents
CORAM: HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SURYA KANT.
HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SUDIP AHLUWALIA.
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Present: Mr.Sanjeev Kumar Panwar, Advocate, for the petitioners.
Mr.Rishi Kaushal, Advocate for NHAI.
Mr.R.D.Sharma, Deputy Advocate General, Haryana.
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1. Whether Reporters of Local papers may be allowed to see the judgment?
2. To be referred to the Reporters or not?
3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest?
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Surya Kant, J. (Oral)
Notice of motion.
On our asking, Mr.Rishi Kaushal, Advocate accepts notice on behalf of respondent Nos.1 & 2 and Mr.R.D.Sharma, learned Deputy Advocate General, Haryana, accepts notice on behalf of respondent No.3.
Let two copies of the writ petition be supplied to each above- named learned counsel during the course of day failing which this order shall be automatically recalled and the writ petition shall be deemed to have been dismissed for non-prosecution.
In view of the nature of order which we propose to pass, it is not necessary to seek any counter-reply from the respondents at this stage.
For Subsequent orders see CWP-22660-2016 1 of 4 ::: Downloaded on - 16-11-2016 00:48:30 ::: CWP No.22630 of 2016 [2] The petitioners are residents of village Maujpur, Tehsil Ballabgarh, District Faridabad. Their land, as described in para No.2 of the writ petition, has been acquired by respondent No.1 under the National Highways Act, 1956, for widening and development of National Highway No.2 (Eastern Peripheral Express Way).
The Award was passed in the year 2016 by the Land Acquisition Collector/Competent Authority.
The petitioners' main grievance is that while assessing the compensation, the benefits of Sections 23, 28 and 34 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (hereinafter referred to as '1894 Act'), namely, solatium and interest have not been granted to them despite the fact that this Court in M/s Golden Iron and Steel Forgings versus Union of India and others, 2011 (4) RCR (Civil) 375, has categorically held that in the case of acquisition under the National Highways Act, 1956 also, these two statutory benefits are equally admissible to the affected land-owners.
The petitioners, besides submitting their claim-applications etc., are said to be running from pillar to post for the release of above- mentioned benefits which are said to have been withheld on the plea that there are no specific directions given by this Court in their favour.
We have heard learned counsel for the parties at some length and gone through the record.
The principles laid down by this Court in Golden Iron and Steel Forgings's case (supra), are undisputable. The fact that the benefit of solatium and interest has been extended to other similarly situated land- owners vide order dated 27.09.2012 in Bhag Singh's case (supra), can be hardly denied. In these circumstances, it appears imperative upon For Subsequent orders see CWP-22660-2016 2 of 4 ::: Downloaded on - 16-11-2016 00:48:31 ::: CWP No.22630 of 2016 [3] respondents to consider the petitioners' claim for the grant of solatium and interest in accordance with the decision of this Court in Golden Iron and Steel Forgings's case (supra).
While considering the claim of the petitioners in the light of the above-cited decision, the respondents shall be required to follow the recent directions dated 11.08.2016 issued by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No.10533 of 2011 (Sunita Mehra and another versus Union of India and others), to the following effect:-
".....that the award of solatium and interest on solatium should be made effective only to proceedings pending on the date of the High Court order in Golden Iron & Steel Forgings vs. Union of India and others, i.e. 28.03.2008. Concluded cases should not be opened. As for future proceedings, the position would be covered by the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (came into force on 01.01.2014), which Act has been made applicable to acquisitions under the National Highways Act, 1956 by virtue of notification/ order issued under the provisions of the Act of 2013.
With the aforesaid modification and clarification in the order of the High Court, these civil appeals are disposed of....."
The writ petition is accordingly disposed of in the following terms:-
(i) The petitioners may apply to the Competent Authority-
cum-Land Acquisition Collector within a period of one month for the grant of aforesaid benefits;
(ii) The said Competent Authority will issue notice and call For Subsequent orders see CWP-22660-2016 3 of 4 ::: Downloaded on - 16-11-2016 00:48:31 ::: CWP No.22630 of 2016 [4] for the records/reply from the National Highway Authority of India;
(iii) The Competent Authority shall thereafter determine the petitioners' claim for the aforesaid benefits, especially in view of the decisions of this Court and the Hon'ble Supreme Court, cited above;
(iv) If the petitioners are found entitled to, a self speaking supplementary Award to this effect shall be passed within a period of four months from the date of filing of the application;
(v) The National Highways Authority of India is directed to deposit the amount payable in terms of the supplementary award, in interest-bearing fixed deposit account(s) in any nationalized bank which shall be disbursed subject to attaining finality of the litigation in the Golden Iron and Steel Forgings's case (supra).
The writ petition stands disposed of accordingly.
[SURYA KANT]
JUDGE
November 03, 2016 [SUDIP AHLUWALIA]
mohinder JUDGE
Whether speaking/reasoned : Yes/No
Whether Reportable : Yes/No
For Subsequent orders see CWP-22660-2016 4 of 4 ::: Downloaded on - 16-11-2016 00:48:31 :::