(1.) The Honourable Chief Justice.
(2.) The Government of Tamil Nadu enacted the Land Acquisition (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 1996 seeking to insert Section 48-B as under:-
(3.) The aforesaid provision is, thus, in derogation from Section 48 (1) of the said Act and inasmuch as where the acquisition is complete, but the Government is satisfied that the land is not required for purposes for which it was acquired or for any other public purpose, the Government may transfer such land to the original owner, who is willing to repay the amount paid to him under the Act, inclusive of the amount of interest under Section 23(1)(a) of the said Act and solatium under Section 23(2) of the said Act. It is the constitutional validity of the aforesaid provision, which is in question in the present writ petition.