JUDGMENT :

(A.S. Supehia, J.)

ORDER IN FIRST APPEAL Nos.1316 to 1323, 1325 to 1327 & 1329 to 1330 of 2015

1. These First Appeals emanate from judgment and award dated 21.2.2015 passed by learned Senior Civil Judge, Kadi, District-Mehsana, in Land Acquisition Reference Cases Nos.1458 to 1465, 1467, 1469, 1470 & 1472 of 2013 with Land Acquisition Reference No.1626 of 2013. Land Reference Cases arise out of the acquisition of land situated at Village-Agol, Taluka-Kadi, District-Mehsana, by the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited for the purpose of construction of canal of Narmada Yojana. The process of acquisition of land was initiated by issuance of Notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (hereinafter for the sake of brevity and convenience referred to as “the Act”) on 31.1.2012 and publication of Notification under Section 6 of the Act on 31.3.2012. Thereafter, the award under Section 11 of the Act was passed on 28.2.2013, whereby Special Land Acquisition Officer awarded compensation at Rs.15.88 per sq.mtr. Being aggrieved, the claimants preferred afore-noted reference cases under Section 18 of the Act seeking enhanced compensation of Rs.1000/- per sq.mtr. The