Entitlement to enhanced solatium and interest under the Amendment Act 68 of 1984 for compensation awarded for land acquisition.

ORDER

1. Leave granted.

2. The High Court of Karnataka in the impugned order reversed the award and decree of the reference court and modified the same to the extent that the claimants will be entitled to compensation @ Rs 9160 per acre for the irrigated land and Rs 8680 per acre for dry land, as against the reference courts award of sum of Rs 16,950 and Rs 9975 respectively, when the matter had come up for admission, since a batch of the matters was then pending, notice was ordered in these matters also and the same was directed to be tagged with them. Since the batch has been disposed of by order dated 27-1-1995 in CA arising out of SLPs (C) Nos. 11963-70 of 1996 (sic) this Court while affirming the compensation awarded by the High Court modified the judgment and decree to the extent of awarding benefits of enhanced solatium and interest under the Amendment Act 68 of 1984. The Court instead granted solatium at 15 per cent and interest at 6 per cent on the enhanced compensation from the date of taking possession till date of payment or deposit, whichever is earlier. In these cases, since the award of the reference court itself is of 23-10-1982, i.e., after the Amendment Act was introduced, the respondents are entitled to the benefits of the enhanced solatium and interest as granted by the High Court.

3. The appeals are accordingly dismissed. No costs.

For Citation: 1995(5) SCC 544