(1.) With the consent of the parties, all these five petitions are being disposed of by a common judgment. In all these petitions, the prayer is to extend time for completion of the arbitral proceedings, in order to enable learned Arbitral Tribunal to pass the award.
(2.) The arbitral disputes arise out of the land acquisition in District Mandi, H.P. for the purpose of building (widening/ four laning etc.) maintenance, management and operation of National Highway- 21. The land has been acquired under the provisions of National Highways Act, 1956.
(3.) Arbitration cases No. 684 of 2023 and 685 of 2023 pertain to award No. 6/3 decided on 21/4/2018, with respect to which the petitioners had preferred Reference Petitions No. 586 of 2018 and 334 of 2018. In the aforesaid references the Arbitrator had issued notices on 5/10/2018. The right to file reply was closed on 7/12/2021. Vide order dtd. 27/12/2022, it was observed that the mandate of the Arbitrator had expired. Hence, the aforesaid Reference Petitions were ordered to be kept in abeyance, till the time period for completing the arbitral proceedings was extended under Sec. 29-A.