Rajiv Roy, J.—Heard Mr. Kumar Kaushik, learned counsel for the petitioners and learned AC to AAG-4.

2. The present petition has been filed for the following reliefs:—

(i) for issuance of an order, direction or a writ of certiorari for quashing the order dated 02.08.2023-passed in Land Acquisition Appeal Case No.30/2023-24 communicated to the petitioners through Memo No.998 dated 08.08.2023 whereby and whereunder the application filed by the writ petitioners under Section 3-G (5) of the National Highways Act, 1956 for redetermination of the award has been rejected by the Respondent No.7 namely, the Commissioner, Bhagalpur Division-cum- Learned Arbitrator only on the ground of delay without deciding the claim of the petitioners on merit;

(ii) for issuance of an order, direction or a writ of mandamus for directing the respondent authorities to determine the award in accordance with Section 3-G (7) of the National Highways Act, 1956 read with Section 26 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 on the basis of market value specified in the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 for the registration of the sale deed in the area where the land is situated.

(iii) for issuance of an order, direction or an appropriate writ for restraining the respondent authorities from taking possession of the landed properties of the petitioners without redetermination and payment of award as prayed for in this writ application in accordance with law.

3. It is the case of the petitioners that the award was prepared in the Land Acquisition Case No. 79/2019-2020. Aggrieved by the award and pursuant to the direction of the Patna High Court in CWJC No. 1778 of 2022, the petitioners moved before the Arbitrator-cum-Commissioner, Bhagalpur Division, Bhagalpur but the same came to be dismissed on 02.08.2023 on the ground of delay and laches after recording that the delay was not satisfactorily explained warranting its condonation.

4. The orders passed by the Commissioner, Bhagalpur Division, Bhagalpur read as follows:—

^^02-08-2023 vkt dh lquokbZ esa vkosnd ds fo}ku vfèkoDrk] fo}ku ljdkjh vfèkoDrk] ,uñ,pñ,ñvkbZñ ds fo}ku vfèkoDrk ,oa ftyk Hkw&vtZu inkfèkdkjh] Hkkxyiqj mifLFkr gSaA
;g ekeyk ekuuh; mPp U;k;ky;] iVuk }kjk lh-MCY;w-ts-lh- okn lañ&1778@2022 larks"k dqekj ik.Ms; cuke Hkkjr ljdkj }kjk lM+d ifjogu vkSj jktekxZ ea=ky; ,oa vU; esa fnukad 19-05-2022 dks ikfjr vkns'k ds vkyksd esa fnukad 20-06-2023 dks nk;j fd;k x;k gSA vkosnd }kjk jk"Vªh; mPp iFk lañ&80 ds eqaxsj&fetkZpkSdh lsD'ku esa Qksjysu lM+d fuekZ.k gsrq ekStk&f[knjiqj] Fkkuk uañ&214, vapy&ihjikSrh ds vUrxZr [kkrk uañ&34, [ksljk uañ&452 va'k] jdok&0-61 ,dM+ Hkwfe vftZr fd;s tkus ds QyLo:i ns; eqvkotk jkf'k ds Hkqxrku gsrq ftyk Hkw&vtZu inkfèkdkjh] Hkkxyiqj }kjk Hkw&vtZu okn lañ&79@2019&20 iapkV lañ&17 esa fn;s x;s vkns'k dks ;g dgdj pqukSrh nh tk jgh gS fd nh xbZ eqvkotk jkf'k vtZr tehu dh izÑfr ds vuqlkj dkQh de gSA
mYys[kuh; gS fd ekuuh; mPp U;k;ky;] iVuk }kjk izklafxd ekeys esa fnukad 19-05-2022 dks ikfjr vkns'k ds mijkar yxHkx 01 o"kZ O;rhr gks tkus ds ckn vR;fèkd foyac ls eè;LFkrk gsrq ekeyk nk;j djus ds lacaèk esa vkosnd }kjk dksbZ dkj.k ugha crk;k gSA cfYd foyac {kafr ds fcUnq ij fyf[kr :i esa budk dguk gS fd bUgksaus dksbZ foyac ugha fd;k gSA lquokbZ ds nkSjku ekSf[kd :i ls Hkh iwNs tkus ij buds }kjk ;g crk;k tk jgk gS fd bUgsa ekuuh; mPp U;k;ky; ds vkns'k dh tkudkjh le; ls ugha fey ikbZ FkhA ;g vfHkdFku foyac dk vkSfpR; fl) djus gsrq larks"ktud mÙkj ugha gSA pw¡fd vkosnd }kjk bUgsa volj fn;s tkus ds ckotwn vlkekU; foyac ds {kkafr ds fcUnq ij dksbZ larks"ktud vfHkdFku@lk{; izLrqr ugha fd;k gSA ,slh fLFkfr esa bl ekeys esa vkxs lquokbZ fd;k tkuk laHko izrhr ugha gksrk gSA vr% vaxhdkj ds fcUnq ij ;g ekeyk fuLrkfjr fd;k tkrk gSA
vkns'k dh izfr lacafèkr i{kdkjksa dks miyCèk djk nh tk;A
vk;qDr]
Hkkxyiqj izeaMy] Hkkxyiqj**

5. Learned counsel for the petitioners who wanted the case to be heard on merit submit that since the petition has been rejected