JUDGMENT

T.S. Thakur, J. —

Two questions fall for determination in these appeals that arise out of orders passed by the High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh. These are -

1) Whether award of solatium and interest is permissible even in cases where acquisition of land is made under Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act 1952; and

2) Whether the land owners were entitled to enhancement of compensation beyond Rs.200/- per marla determined by the learned Single Judge.

The questions arise in the following backdrop.

2. A large extent of land situate in the outskirts of Pathankot in the State of Punjab and underlying different survey numbers was acquired for defence purposes under the provisions of Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act, 1952. Failure of the parties to arrive at an agreement as to the amount of compensation payable to the expropriated owners of the land in question led the owners to seek appointment of an Arbitrator for determination of the amount payable to them. The Government did not respond to the said request for a long time which forced the land-owners to approach the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in a writ petition seekin