Vaghela Vishnubhai Ramanlal vs The Competent Authority
2021 Latest Caselaw 15733 Guj

     C/SCA/14834/2021                                ORDER DATED: 06/10/2021




            IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

             R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 14834 of 2021

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                        VAGHELA VISHNUBHAI RAMANLAL
                                   Versus
                          THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY
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Appearance:
MR MURALI N DEVNANI(1863) for the Petitioner(s) No. 1,2,3
MR TIRTHRAJ PANDYA, ASSISTANT GOVERNMENT PLEADER/PP(99) for
the Respondent(s) No. 1
MR MAULIK G NANAVATI for NANAVATI & CO.(7105) for the Respondent(s)
No. 2
MR DEVANG VYAS, ASG for the Respondent(s) No. 3
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 CORAM:HONOURABLE THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE MR.
       JUSTICE R.M.CHHAYA
       and
       HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE BIREN VAISHNAV

                               Date : 06/10/2021

                         ORAL ORDER

(PER : HONOURABLE THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE MR. JUSTICE R.M.CHHAYA)

1. We have heard Mr. Murali N. Devnani, learned counsel for the petitioners and Mr. Tirthraj Pandya, learned Assistant Government Pleader for the State, Mr. Maulik G. Nanavati, learned counsel appearing for the respondents no.1 and 2 and Mr. Devang Vyas, learned ASG for the respondent no.3.

2. At the outset, learned counsel for the petitioners has pressed of this petition only for applicability of Factor-2 to be applied while finally calculating the award as the per

C/SCA/14834/2021 ORDER DATED: 06/10/2021

compensation vide the judgment dated 12.09.2019 passed by a Division Bench of this Court in a group of Writ Petitions led by Special Civil Application No.8734 of 2019. He has further specifically submitted that the benefit extended in Paragraphs 19, 20 and 21 of the said judgment may be extended and applied in the case of the present petitioners. In other matters, the earlier award needs to be revised and a fresh award needs to be given in the light of the judgment dated 12.09.2019 referred to above which has since been affirmed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court and now the State and National Highway Authority of India are complying the same subject to fulfillment of the conditions for getting the benefit of Factor-2. However, it is more or less admitted subject to verification by the respondent - NHAI that the petitioners are and would be entitled to the benefit of Factor-2. It goes without saying that the benefit would be extended so long as the petitioners are entitled to and eligible for the same, depending upon the location. We direct that the decision to redetermine the compensation be taken in light of the judgment dated 12.09.2019, wherein we have also fixed eight weeks' time to the competent authority to make the award and further we have granted 21 days time to the National Highway Authority of India to make necessary deposit so that the

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land owners may get the benefit at the earliest.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioners has also sought liberty that the petitioners if determination of rate of land are by which the compensation is calculated are not satisfied they may have the liberty to avail the remedy available under the law for seeking enhancement. We make it clear that we are not curtailing any right of the petitioners available to them under law for claiming the highest compensation which they can get subject to availing the appropriate remedy in accordance to law and establishing their rights for higher compensation.

4. It has been pointed out by Mr. Pandya, learned Assistant Government Pleader that the present petitioners have moved for redetermination of compensation before the Arbitrator under Section 3G(5) of the National Highways Act, 1956. It is thus submitted by Mr. Pandya as also Mr. Nanavati appearing for NHAI that before the Arbitrator, the petitioners may not insist for Factor-2 claim or in the alternative the respondents may be permitted to apprise the Arbitrator of the said issue so that there is no further multiplicity or complication in the proceedings. Learned counsel for the petitioners states that the

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petitioners would not insist for Factor-2 before the Arbitrator as they would be getting the benefit of Factor-2 under the present orders.

5. In view of the above, we dispose of this petition with a direction to the competent authority / Land Acquisition Officer under the National Highways Act, 1956 to give a fresh award in the above cases in the light of the judgment dated 12.09.2019 passed in Special Civil Application No.8734 of 2019 keeping in mind the directions contained in Paragraphs 19, 20 and 21 thereof within a period of eight weeks from the date of production of certified copy of this order to the competent authority. We further direct that within 21 days from the date of award the National Highway Authority of India shall deposit the amount with the competent authority for disbursement to the petitioners.

(THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE R.M.CHHAYA, J)

(BIREN VAISHNAV, J) Maulik