N PERIYASAMY Vs. SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Since the issue involved in all these Writ Petitions are common, all these Writ Petitions are taken up together and disposed of by this common order.

(2.) The prayer in all these writ petitions is for the issuance of a writ of mandamus to direct the respondents herein to pay to the petitioners fair, reasonable and equitable compensation for the entire lands acquired in Ammapet and Erumapalayam in Salem District and for the demolition of the buildings thereon for the up-gradation and widening of the then existing two lane into four lane divided carriageway configuration of Salem-Ulundurpet section of National Highways NH-68 in the State of Tamil Nadu.

(3.) The grievance of the petitioners in all these cases is that though their lands were acquired for the up-gradation and widening of the then existing two lane to four lane divided carriageway configuration of Salem-Ulundurpet section of National Highways NH-68 in the State of Tamil Nadu and the project also has been completed, till date no compensation has been fixed or paid to them because the District Collector, who is also an Arbitrator has not fixed the valuation even though there is an earlier direction that they should be disposed of within a period of three months. Aggrieved against the non-fixation of the compensation, the present writ petitions have been preferred by the land owners.