JUDGMENT

Petitioners have approached this Court, being aggrieved by the fact that certain applications filed by the petitioners seeking reference under Section 64 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’) have been rejected by the 3rd respondent.

2. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioners refers to the provisions of Section 64 of the Act and points out that an application for reference under has to be normally made within a period of six weeks form the date of award. It is submitted that the applications filed within one year from the expiry of the six weeks period can also be entertained, if the authority finds that there is sufficient reason for not making the application within the aforesaid period of six weeks. He submits that the 3rd respondent has arbitrarily rejected the applications for reference by stating (in one line) that there are no sufficient reasons to cause reference of the applications of the petitioners under of the Act. He submits that the petitioners were not even heard before the applications for reference were rejected.

3. Learned counsel