1. Heard learned counsel for petitioners and Ms. Sushmita Mukherjee, learned counsel appearing on behalf of NHAI.

2. The instant petition has been filed praying for a direction to the respondents to declare the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Award read with elements of Second Scheduled at Serial No.1, 4 & 10 of the "The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013"(for short 'the Act, 2013') and pay to the petitioners in lieu of their acquired land.

3. Indisputably, the land of the petitioners was acquired under the provisions of the National Highways Act, 1956 ( for short 'NH Act'). The competent authority passed an award on 24.08.2017. It is not disputed that National Highways Act, 1956 is duly specified in the fourth schedule of the Act, 2013. It has been held by this Court in Writ-C No. 21601 of 2022, Ranvir Singh and 35 others and connected matters, decided on 21.02.2023 that the beneficial provisions of the Act, 2013 including the provisions relating to rehabilitation and resettlement would also apply to acquisitions made under the NH Act. The operative part of the order is as follows:-

"For the above, without enteri