ORDER

1. This batch of three writ petitions has been filed by land owners alleging non compliance of the provisions of section 3C(2) of the National Highways Act, 1956 (for short "the Act of 1956") in the matter of acquisition of land for construction of road.

2. On notice, respondent No.2 filed a detailed counter affidavit, which has been adopted by respondent Nos. 3 and 4.

3. It appears that respondent No.2 issued a gazette notification dated 11.10.2018, proposing acquisition of land for construction of National Highway between Porsa and Ater (Porsa-Ater-Bhind Road) falling in National Highway No.552. For the purpose of acquisition of land, proceedings under section 3A of the Act of 1956 were started. The objections were to be filed within 21 days of the date of publication of notification. Since the notification was published in newspaper on 1/3/2019, the petitioners after acquiring knowledge of the same, filed objection dated 8.3.2019, which was received on 12/3/2019. The objection (Annexure P/5), in fact, is suggestive in nature; relevant paragraph whereof is reproduced thus:

^^;g fd] iwoZ ls fHk.M vVsj iksjlk jksM fufeZr gS mlds nksuksa vksj dkQh txg gksdj mldk pkSMhdj.k djds gkbos dk fuekZ.k fd;k tkus ij 'kklu dks ,oa dk'rdkjku dks lqfo/kk gksxh 'kklu dks eqvkotk ls jkgr feysxh rFkk dk'rdkjksa dh Hkwfe muds thfodksiktZu ds fy, cuh jgsxh tks fd 'kklu fgr esa gSA**

4. The objections so received, were sent for technical opinion/report to the Executive Engineer vide letter dated 12.3.2019 (Annexure R/1). The report was submitted on 12.4.2019 (Annexure R/2), based whereupon the order (Annexure R/3) of rejection of objections was passed on 22.4.2019. The same reads infra:

dk;kZy; vuqfoHkkxh; vf/kdkjh ¼jktLo½ ,oa l{ke Ákf/kdkjh vVsj ftyk vVsj
fHk.M ¼e/; Áns'k½
Øekad 320@D;w@jh@vŒfoŒvŒ@2020@320
vVsj fnukad 22-4-2019
vkns'k
iksjlk&vVsj&fHk.M ekxZ jk"Vªh; jktekxZ Øekad 552 ¼foLrkfjr½ fuekZ.k gsrq Hkw&vfèkxzg.k dk dk;Z fd;k tk jgk gSA ftlesa /kkjk 3&, dk xtV uksfVfQds'ku fnukad 11-10-2018 dks fd;k x;k] rn~ijkar bldk lekpkj i=¨a ¼1 nSfud HkkLdj fnukad 1-3-2019 ,oa vkpj.k fnukad 2-3-2019½ esa Ádk'ku fd;k x;k FkkA blesa xzke çrkiiqjk ds Hkw&Lokfeksa }kjk vkthfodk dk nwljk lk/ku u gksus crkdj vkifRr;ka ntZ dh xbZ FkhA
/kkjk 3&lh ds vUrxZr vkifRr;ksa ds fujkdj.k gsrq dk;Zikyu ;a=h jk"Vªh; jktekxZ laHkkx Xokfy;j ds i= Øekad 162@rd@2019 Xokfy;j fnukad 12-4-2019 ds rduhdh ¼fo?keku ekxZ esa Árkiiqjk ds vUrxZr 5 eksM gSa 5 esa ls 3 eksM va/ks gSa Árkiiqjk ikoj gkml ij Cysd LikWV fpfUgr fd;k x;k gS½ vfHker ÁkIr gksus ls lHkh vkifRr;ka [kkfjt dh tkrh gSa
lgh@&
vuqfoHkkxh; vf/kdkjh
¼jktLo½
l{ke Ákf/kdkjh vVsj
ftyk&fHk.M
i`"B Øekad&320
vVsj fnukad 22-4-2019
Áfrfyfi%&
1- dysDVj egksn; ftyk fHk.M dh vksj lwpukFkZA
2- rglhynkj rglhy vVsj dks lwpukFkZ ,oa ys[k gS fd uksfVl cksMZ ij pLik djsaA
3- dk;Zikyu ;a=h yksŒfuŒfoŒ jk"Vªh; jktekxZ laHkkx Xokfy;j dh vksj lwpukFkZA
4- jhMj vuqŒfoŒ vf/kdkjh jktLo vkWfQl uksfVl cksMZ ij pLik djsaA
lgh@&
vuqfoHkkxh; vf/kdkjh
¼jktLo½
l{ke Ákf/kdkjh vVsj
ftyk&fHk.M

The communication (Annexure R/4) in that behalf was made by Sub Divisional Officer to the Executive Engineer, PWD National Highway, Division Gwalior for further proceedings.

5. The Award has been passed on 11.2.2020 (Annexure R/6) after declaration under section 3D of the act of 1956. The total area of land acquired is 4.29 hectares and Award to the tune of Rs.95,77,849/- has been passed for payment to 128 land owners, out of which about 126 persons have received the compensation and handed over possession of the land including petitioner Rishikesh in W.P.No.6111/2020. Only two persons namely Raghuraj (petitioner in W.P. No.6108/2020) and Umrav (petitioner in W.P.No.10902/2020) have not taken the compensation. This Court on 13.3.2020 in W.P. No.6108/2020 has ordered for maintaining status quo in regard to possession of land in question. As a result, the entire work of construction of Porsa-Ater National Highway has come to a standstill.

6. The sheet anchor of arguments of Shri Sharma,