JUDGMENT :

(Nisha M. Thakore, J.)

1. This group of appeals are filed by the original claimants under Section 54 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 r/w Section 96 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 challenging the judgment and award dated 30.01.2018 passed by the learned Principal Senior Civil Judge, Amreli in group of Land Reference Case Nos. 154 of 1999 and allied matters.

2. The learned Principal Senior Civil Judge has recorded the common evidence of aforesaid Land Acquisition Cases and has treated the Land Reference Case No.154 of 1999 as lead case.

3. The brief facts leading to the filing of the present appeals as pleaded by the original claimants are briefly summarized as under:

3.1. The Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department, Amreli intended to acquire the various lands situated at the outskirts of village Venivadar of Amreli Taluka for the purpose of “Vadi Irrigation Project”, for which, a proposal was sent to the State of Gujarat. Considering the proposal, the State of Gujarat had accordingly issued Notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) on 5.7.1996 followed by Notification under Section 6 of the Act, which c