The Supreme Court has turned down Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd’s petition challenging the Bombay High Court order upholding acquisition of its land for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project. Terming it a national project, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud noted that much water has already flown since the acquisition of the land.
The possession of the land has been taken and construction has started on it, the bench said, adding the petitioner was a“responsible company”.Much water has already flown, it added.The top court, however, gave liberty to the petitioner company to seek enhancement of compensation for the land acquired. On behalf of the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said The delay was leading to escalation in the project cost. The dispute was over compensation not land acquisition, he added.Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Ltd had challenged the final award of Rs 264 crore granted on September 15, 2022 for9.69 acre land acquired for the bullet train project, saying it was nothing compared tothe initial amount of Rs 572 crore offered to it.