Judgment

Mr. Harkesh Manuja, J.

By way of present appeal, challenge has been laid to an award dated 29.01.2018 passed by the Addl. District Judge, Kurukshetra (hereinafter to be referred as ‘Reference Court’), whereby the reference petition invoked under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1984 (hereinafter to be referred as ‘the 1894 Act’) at the instance of appellants/landowners was dismissed being time barred.

2. Briefly stating, land owned by the appellants, situated within revenue estate of village Chhapra, Tehsil Shahabad, District Kurukshetra was sought to be acquired vide notification dated 27.03.2012 issued under Section 4 of the 1894 Act, followed by notification dated 27.03.2013, issued under Section 6 thereof.

3. The award dated 04.07.2013 was passed by the Land Acquisition Collector under Section 11 of the 1894 Act, whereby the market value of the acquired land was determined @ 28 lakhs per acre, besides grant of other statutory benefits.

4. Aggrieved against the aforesaid award dated 04.07.2013, the appellants/landowners invoked Section 24 along with Section 64 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Ac