K. JAYARAMAN Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Assailing the notification issued for the acquisition of the lands of the petitioners for the purpose of formation of National Highways - 45 as having lapsed in view of the Declaration having not been issued within the period of one year from the date of notification, the present writ petitions have been filed.

(2.) It is the case of the petitioners that the notification issued u/s 3-A (1) of the National Highways Act, 1956 (for short 'the Act') dtd. 12/10/2018, for the acquisition of the lands was challenged, by filing W.P. No.14729/2019, which was published in the Cuddalore Edition of 'Dina Thanthi' on 25/10/2018, in which this Court, vide order dtd. 22/5/2019 in WMP No.14725/2019 granted an order of interim stay of all further proceedings for a period of four weeks. Ultimately, vide order dtd. 30/7/2019, this Court dismissed the said writ petition.

(3.) It is the further case of the petitioners that summons dtd. 27/9/2019 was issued by the 3rd respondent directing the petitioners to appear for enquiry on 9/10/2019, to which a copy of the letter dtd. 18/9/2019 containing the technical opinion of the National Highways Authority was annexed so as to enable the petitioners to raise objections. It is the further case of the petitioners that they participated in the enquiry and raised their objections for the acquisition of their lands contending that the lands are agricultural lands. However, the 3rd respondent, vide order dtd. 9/10/2019, disallowed the objections of the petitioners u/s 3-C of the Act.