JUDGMENT

[Judgment of the Court was made by K.K. RAMAKRISHNAN .J.]

The appeal in C.M.A.(MD).No.603 of 2023 has been filed by the National Highways Authority, challenging the Arbitration award passed in A.R.O.P.No.72/2013 dated 06.02.2020 filed by the land owner to set aside the arbitration award by the Collector/Arbitrator dated 03.07.2013.

2.The claimants/respondents No.1 to 10, owned lands along Madurai-

Trichy National Highways Road in the Survey No.108/1B and 109/2A1, situated at “Kalikappan Village”, Madurai District. The Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways (Department of Road, Transport and Highways) issued the notification dated 08.07.2004, for acquisition of an extent of 600 sq.mtr., and 2250 sq.mtr., totally 2850 sq.mtr or 70.422 cents of wet land belonging to the respondents’ under Section 3(A) of the National Highways Act, 1956 (herein after called as “NHAI Act”) for expanding and laying four way track (National Highways road from Madurai- Trichy (NH45B) under “the Golden Quadrilateral Scheme”. The National Highways Authority of India, (herein after called “NHAI”) is the implementing authority. The land owners submitted their objection to the acquisition and t