Court enhances land compensation from Rs 79 lakh to Rs 1.6 cr

Bahadur Singh had alleged that the administration had initially refused to grant him compensation for acquiring his agricultural land on May 10,2006. He had reclaimed possession of his land which he alleged was forcibly taken away from him. After he moved the court,the administration had decided to grant him compensation. The then Land Acquisition Collector,Chandigarh,had decided to award Rs 79 lakh as compensation.

Insisting that the compensation determined was on a lower side,Bahadur Singh moved the court. Senior advocate Thakur Kartar Singh and Vishal Thakur contended that as against the market price,the compensation affixed by the collector was far too less.

To corroborate their claim,advocate Thakur had produced a sale deed of a similarly situated land in Hallomajra. It was argued that the sale deed of the similarly situated land was registered at more than double the price prevailing in 2006. Citing various judgments,the petitioner requested the court to enhance the compensation.

Finding force in the contentions,the lower court has doubled the compensation and directed the Chandigarh Administration to pay Rs 1.6 crore per acre to Bahadur Singh and his brother-in-law Bhagwant Singh. It has also been ordered that the administration will pay 9 per cent interest on the said amount for the first year (2006) and 15 per cent interest for the remaining years.

The existing market price of the said land is nearly Rs 8 crore. As per law,compensation is determined keeping in view the year in which the land is acquired. Unsatisfied with the enhanced compensation,Bahadur Singh says he will file an appeal against the order. “We will appeal against the order. Though the court has doubled the compensation,it is still less compared to the market price prevailing that year (2006),” Bahadur Singh told Chandigarh Newsline.