JUDGMENT

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

The appeal in C.M.A.(MD).No.504 of 2022 has been filed by the National Highways Authority, challenging the Arbitration award passed in A.R.O.P.No.23/2014 dated 27.01.2020 filed by the land owner to set aside the arbitration award by the Collector/Arbitrator dated 21.08.2014.

2. The first respondent owned lands along Madurai-Trichy National Highways Road in the Survey No.21/1, situated at “Melamadai Bit.II 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 2880 sq.mtrs or 71.163 cents of dry 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 the same was not considered by the Project Director under the N