Once Section 3(1) notification is issued recognizing land owners, and registered deeds and pattas remain unassailed, claimants are entitled to compensation and deposit under Section 10(3) cannot be ordered without proving title dispute.

JUDGMENT :

G.ARUL MURUGAN, J.

1.Since the issue involved in all these intra-court appeals is in respect of the awards passed by the 2^nd appellant/Special District Revenue Officer in the land acquisition proceedings initiated for establishment of the SIPCOT industrial park, the appeals are heard together and disposed of by this common order.

2. W.A.No.926 of 2026 and W.A.No.925 of 2026 assail the order dated 17.10.2025 in W.P.No.21220 of 2025 and W.P.No.21217 of 2025, whereby the impugned awards of the 2^nd appellant dated 11.04.2025 and 03.04.2025 in Award Nos.14 of 2025 and 12 of 2025, were set aside and the writ petitioners were allowed to file application for withdrawal of the compensation deposited.

3. W.A.Nos.883 of 2026, 790 of 2026, 786 of 2026 and 872 of 2026 arise out of the orders passed in W.P.Nos.3903 of 2026, 3934 of 2026, 3900 of 2026 and 3896 of 2026 respectively, whereby the writ petitions were also disposed of vide orders dated 19.02.2026 in favour of the writ petitioners, by following the order dated 17.10.2025 passed in W.P.No.21220 of 2025. The State has preferred the above writ appeals, challenging the separate orders passed by the writ court.

3.1.For the sake of convenience, the parties are referred as per their ranking in the lead case in W.A.No.926 of 2026 and the facts of that case are mentioned and narrated hereunder.

4. For easy reference, the details of appeals are set out as under:-

5. The common and relevant facts to be noted in these appeals are as follows:-

5.1. The Government issued G.O.(Ms.)No.180 Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce [SIPCOT-LA] Department, dated 12.08.2022, according administrative sanction for acquisition of an extent of 908.26.70 hectares of patta land and also for alienation of an extent of 76.91.00 hectares of poramboke lands in Manellore, Soorapoondi, Sanaputhur, Madharpakkam and Vaniyamalli Villages in Gummidipoondi Taluk of Tiruvallur District, in favour of the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu [SIPCOT], for establishment of an industrial park.

5.2. The project covered an extent of 11.46.00 hectares of patta lands in Madharpakkam Village of Gummidipoondi Taluk. The land acquisition proceedings were initiated and the preliminary notification for acquisition of these lands under the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, 1997 , [hereinafter referred to as “the Act”] was issued on 21.08.2023.

5.3. As the lands of the writ petitioners formed part of the proposed acquisition, the 2^nd appellant had issued notice in Form-A dated 21.08.2023 as per Section 3 (2) of the Act, calling for their objections. The writ petitioners had filed their objections. Pursuant to the enquiry conducted, the objections and remarks of the beneficiary were forwarded to the 1^st appellant. By order dated 19.07.2024, the 1^st appellant rejected the objections for land acquisition, which was also communicated to the writ petitioners.

5.4. Notification under Section 3 (1) of the Act was approved by the 1^st appellant and published in the Tamil Nadu Extraordinary Gazette No.238, Part-VI Section-1 dated 22.07.2024. In view of the notification published, notice under Section 7 (2) was issued on 14.08.2024 by the 2^nd appellant to all the land owners/writ petitioners calling for private negotiations to determine the compensation. The 2^nd appellant conducted the private negotiations on 20.09.2024, where the land owners/writ petitioners attended and they were informed that a compensation has been fixed at Rs.50 Lakhs per acre for the lands, as per G.O.(Ms.)No.46 dated 15.03.2024, which can be determined.

5.5. As the land owners/writ petitioners were not willing to enter into private negotiations and receive th