HC refuses to grant stay on seizing NHAI’s movable property

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Water and Land Management Institute (Walmi) officials could not provide the exact amount of compensation for the land acquired from Walmi. As a result, Justice Kishore Sant of the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court expressed dissatisfaction and rejected NHAI's request for a stay on the district court’s order for seizure of movable property. The next hearing is scheduled to be held after six weeks.

Earlier, the district judge, Subhash Karhale, had ordered the seizure of NHAI's movable property due to the non-payment of the remaining amount of Rs 93 crore as compensation for the acquisition of Walmi's land. An award had been declared for the payment of a total compensation of over Rs 102.54 crore, as part of the acquisition.

The property of Walmi was affected during the widening of the Dhule-Solapur National Highway. For land in some areas, compensation of Rs 5,500 per square metre was declared, while for other areas, the compensation was Rs 13,300 per square metre, as announced by the land acquisition officers. Of the total compensation of Rs 102.54 crore, only Rs 7.64 crore has been paid. NHAI has been avoiding payment of the remaining amount.

Application for compensation with interest

NHAI had challenged the 'award' declared by the Land Acquisition Officers before the tribunal, arguing that no compensation was required to be paid since Walmi is a government-recognised institution. However, the tribunal upheld the decision of the land acquisition officers on April 17, 2018. To ensure that the remaining compensation of Rs 93.13 crore be paid along with interest, an application was filed by Adv. Annasaheb Muley (Shektekar) on behalf of Walmi in the district court. The court approved the application and ordered the seizure of NHAI's property. Adv. Muley had requested that the declared 'award' amount be paid with interest from 2018 onwards.