JUDGMENT :

Kurian, J.

1. In land acquisition proceedings pertaining to Award No. 79 of 1982-1983 in respect of the land belonging to the appellants, this Court finally fixed the land value at the rate of Rs. 76,550/- per Bigha, in the Judgment dated 03.08.2004 in Delhi Development Authority v. Bali Ram Sharma and Other, (2004) 6 SCC 533.

2. Once the land value is fixed by the Court, it refers to the value of the land as per the Award passed by the Collector. That should carry all eligible statutory benefits. It appears that in the case before us, statutory benefits have been denied for a short period on the ground that the proceedings initiated at the instance of the appellants, remained stayed before the Reference Court. To quote from Paragraph-4 of the impugned judgment:-

“Learned Counsel for the appellant, however, had submitted that the learned trial court was not justified in declining the relief of interest on the enhanced compensation for the period during which the reference proceedings had remained stayed sine die and that relief at least should be given by this Court. However, this prayer of the appellant cannot be accepted since he himself had got his reference proceedings b