JUDGMENT :

T.S. Sivagnanam, J.

1. The appellant in all these appeals is the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), represented by its Project Directors over the orders passed by the District Courts in the petitions filed by the respondents/land losers under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (for brevity "the Arbitration Act") enhancing the compensation awarded by the competent authority/District Collectors under the National Highways Act, 1956 (for brevity "the NH Act") for the lands acquired from the land losers/respondents, for the purpose of widening of the existing National Highways.

2. The appeals have been filed under Sections 37(1) and 37(2) of the Arbitration Act. Though there may be slight factual difference with regard to the quantum of compensation claimed/awarded, since the larger question, a legal issue raised by the appellant being common in all these appeals, with the consent of either side, the appeals were clubbed together, heard and are being disposed of by this common judgment.

3. Only one of the land losers has filed a Cross Objection in Cross Objection (MD) No. 16 of 2015 in C.M.A. (MD) No. 386 of 2015 claiming further enhancement than