Land Compensation Dispute: Supreme Court Enhances Compensation for Acquired Land in Haryana

The case of Devender Singh vs. State of Haryana & Ors. revolves around the issue of compensation for land acquired under the Land Acquisition Act. The appellant sought enhancement of compensation for his land, which had been acquired through a notification issued on January 27, 2003, followed by a declaration under Section 6 of the Act on January 23, 2004.

The appellant approached the Supreme Court after the High Court of Punjab and Haryana refused further enhancement beyond what was assessed by the District Judge. The appellant cited a similar case where compensation had been increased, arguing that he deserved the same treatment.

Arguments by the Appellant (Devender Singh)

• The appellant contended that the market value of the acquired land had not been adequately assessed.
• He argued that in a similar case, the Supreme Court had enhanced the compensation by Rs. 1,00,000 per acre, and he was entitled to the same.
• The appellant requested parity with other landowners who had received higher compensation.

Arguments by the Respondent (State of Haryana)

• The State argued that the compensation awarded was fair and based on prevailing market rates.
• They maintained that the enhancement sought by the appellant was not justified.
• The respondents contended that any further increase in compensation would be an undue burden on the state.

Supreme Court’s Observations

The Supreme Court observed that a similar case had already been decided, where the compensation had been enhanced by Rs. 1,00,000 per acre, inclusive of statutory benefits. The Court ruled that the present appeal should be disposed of in the same manner, ensuring consistency in land compensation awards.

Final Judgment

The Supreme Court allowed the appeal and enhanced the compensation in line with its earlier decision. However, it denied statutory benefits for the period covered by the delay before the High Court and the Supreme Court. This ruling ensured uniformity in compensation for similarly placed landowners while also addressing the issue of undue delays in seeking relief.

Petitioner Name: Devender Singh.
Respondent Name: State of Haryana & Ors..
Judgment By: Justice Kurian Joseph, Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar, Justice Navin Sinha.
Place Of Incident: Haryana.
Judgment Date: 20-04-2018.

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