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[3] The issue raised in the writ petition is that the landholders / petitioners have been deprived of their agricultural lands without adopting due process of law. The possession of the lands in question had been taken much prior to the enforcement of the Act, 2013 with effect from 01.01.2014 without undertaking the due process of acquisition. After resistance of the petitioners, the acquisition proceedings were undertaken and the award was declared by application of the provisions of the Act, 2013. All other elements of compensation though have been computed, as per own case of the petitioners in accordance with the provisions of the Act, 2013, but statutory interest under Section 80 of the Act, 2013 has been denied and in place of statutory interest of 09% and 15% under Section 80 of the Act, 2013, by applying a Government Resolution No. LAQ / 1084 / PRP / GH dated 18.06.1986, only 09% interest for delayed payment of compensation has been determined in the form of rental value of the lands in question. In some of the matters, even 09% interest on the compensation amount has been denied.

NEUTRAL CITATION C/SCA/16969/2024 ORDER DATED: 07/01/2025 undefined [7] Having gone through the Government Resolution dated 02.01.2025, we find that the issue, which was bothering the landholders and the Court for a long time have been set at rest. The directions have been issued to the concerned officers to strictly comply with the provisions of the Act, 2013 by providing interest under Section 80 of the Act, 2013 and a clarification has also been given to the effect that the Government Resolution No. LAQ / 1084 / PRP / GH dated 18.06.1986 will not be applicable in case of the awards made under the Act, 2013.

[10] Before parting with this order, we may also record that with the issuance of the Government Resolution dated 02.01.2025, the cloud in the matter of due computation of the compensation under the Act, 2013 by application of the statutory interest under Section 80 of the said Act, 2013 has been cleared with the clarification that the Government Resolution No. LAQ / 1084 / PRP / GH dated 18.06.1986 will not be applicable in all those cases where awards have been made under the Act, 2013. We, therefore, provide that in those similar cases, where the competent authority / Collector receives application for re-computation or revision of the award by providing benefit of Section 80 of the Act, 2013, all such applications shall be dealt by applying the Government Resolution No. RD / LAQ / e-file / 15 / 2024 / 5286 / GH dated 02.01.2025 and the directions issued by us in the order dated 04.09.2024 in Special Civil Application No.12542 of 2024, where we have opined that the statutory interest under Section 80 is applicable to all such cases where awards are made under the Act, 2013. In all such cases, we hope and trust that the competent authorities will deal with the matters at their ends expeditiously and would not force the applicants to approach this Court, by sitting tight over the matter thereby causing unnecessary burden of litigation to this Court.