JUDGMENT :

These appeals and cross objections are filed against the judgment and award dated 01.08.2011 passed in LAC No.10/2009 and connected matters, on the file of the Principal Senior Civil Judge, Hubballi, whereby the reference court ordered that the claimants are entitled to compensation of Rs.75,000/-per gunta and statutory benefits in respect of the land acquired by the respondent authorities.

2. For the sake of convenience, parties are referred to as per their ranking before the reference court.

3. It is the case of the claimants that the lands in question belonged to them and pursuant to the preliminary notification issued under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act (for short, the ‘Act’) by the respondent-authorities on 30.05.2007, the lands were acquired for the purpose of gauge conversion of railway track and in this regard, the respondent-authorities, issued a final notification under Section 6(1) of the Act on 19.06.2008 and thereby, the respondent-authorities took the possession of the lands for the purpose of bypass line of railways. The Special Land Acquisition Officer (for short, ‘SLAO’), after acquiring the land, awarded compensation of Rs.2,598/-per gunta, and