Land Compensation Enhancement: Dharamvir vs. State of Haryana

The case of DHARAMVIR & ORS. vs. STATE OF HARYANA & ETC. concerns the determination of fair compensation for land acquired by the government. The Supreme Court reviewed whether the appellants were entitled to a higher compensation rate based on previous rulings.

Background of the Case

The appellants, Dharamvir and others, contested the compensation amount awarded for their acquired land. They argued that the valuation should align with a previous Supreme Court ruling in Surinder & Ors. vs. State of Haryana & Anr. (Civil Appeal No. 5150 of 2009), decided on May 14, 2015. That decision had set the land value at Rs. 90,000 per acre along with statutory benefits.

The appellants approached the Supreme Court to seek a similar enhancement in their compensation.

Arguments Presented

Appellant’s Arguments:

• The appellants argued that their land was similar in location and characteristics to the land in the Surinder case, where compensation was fixed at Rs. 90,000 per acre.
• They contended that there was no justification for awarding them a lower compensation.

Respondent’s Arguments:

• The respondents did not dispute that the Surinder case was applicable.
• However, they argued that the appellants were already awarded Rs. 81,000 per acre, which was close to the Surinder case ruling.

Supreme Court’s Judgment

The Supreme Court found that the issue was entirely covered by its earlier ruling in the Surinder case. It held:

“The said order fixed the land value at the rate of Rs. 90,000/- per acre along with all statutory benefits.”

As a result, the Court ruled in favor of the appellants, enhancing their compensation:

“The appellants shall be entitled to enhanced compensation i.e. from Rs. 81,000/- to Rs. 90,000/- and shall also be entitled to all the statutory benefits.”

Implementation and Timeline

The Supreme Court directed the State of Haryana to:

• Compute the revised compensation amount.
• Deposit the enhanced compensation before the Executing Court within four months.

Final Decision

The appeals were allowed, and the Supreme Court ordered the State to pay the revised compensation with statutory benefits.

Conclusion

This ruling ensures fair compensation for landowners and establishes consistency in land acquisition cases. The judgment reaffirms that landowners should receive the same compensation as others in similar circumstances.

The appeal was allowed with no order as to costs.

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Download Judgment: Dharamvir & Others vs State of Haryana & E Supreme Court of India Judgment Dated 17-02-2016-1741852726104.pdf