JUDGMENT

Shrikant D. Kulkarni, J. - Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. With the consent of the learned counsel for both the sides, heard finally at admission stage.

2. This bunch of writ petitions can be disposed of by common judgment and order by looking to the similar facts and question of law involved therein.

3. Factual matrix -

(a) The petitioners are resident of different villages situated in Taluka Jalna and Ambad, District Jalna. They own agricultural lands adjacent to National Highway No. 753H (previously known as State Highway No. 176). According to the petitioners, in their agricultural lands, they have their residential houses, wells, fruit trees, bore-well etc. which are also adjacent to the National Highway No. 753H.

(b) The road in question was a small road earlier and it came to be converted into State Highway without payment of any compensation to the petitioners while expansion of State Highway.

(c) It is the stand of the petitioners that the existing width of the road is about 12 meters. The respondents have recently issued a letter of award and started expansi