The Court held that similarly placed landowners are entitled to compensation despite classification changes in land, reinforcing principles of natural justice.

ORDER

This writ petition has been filed challenging the impugned award, dated 03.04.2025 passed by the 2^nd respondent, withholding the disbursement of the compensation amount of Rs.7,15,947/- to the petitioners on the ground that the property acquired by the respondents has now been classified as a government land and therefore, the petitioners are not entitled for disbursement of the compensation. The petitioners also seek for enhancement of compensation in this writ petition.

2. Mr.P.Sathish, learned Additional Government Pleader, accepts notice on behalf of the respondents 1 to 4 and Mr.Abishek Murthy, learned Standing Counsel, accepts notice on behalf of the 5^th respondent.

3. The following facts are not disputed :-

(a) all the notices prior to the passing of the impugned award dated 03.04.2025 passed by the 2^nd respondent as per the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, 1997, was issued only to the petitioners. Therefore, it is clear that the respondents have recognized the petitioners as the land owner.

(b) the petitioners also participated in the impugned proceedings which culminated in the passing of the impugned award, dated 03.04.2025 by the 2^nd respondent.

(c) the disbursement of the compensation amount as per the impugned award, dated 03.04.2025 passed by the 2^nd respondent is also deposited before the appropriate civil court by the respondents.

4. The very same issue was the subject matter of consideration in another writ petition filed by a similarly placed person in W.P.No.21220 of 2025. By order, dated 17.10.2025, in the said writ petition in the case of Bharathy & 3 Ors Vs. Commissioner of Land Administration & 4 Ors., the award withholding the payment of compensation amount of the said petitioners was set aside by this Court and it was held due to the above-mentioned undisputed facts that the petitioners therein were entitled to receive compensation and they were also entitled to seek for enhancement of compensation, which the respondents will have to decide on merits and in accordance with law.

5. Apart from the aforesaid order, dated 17.10.2025 passed in W.P.No.21220 of 2025, another learned Single Judge of this Court had also passed a similar order on 19.02.2026 in W.P.No.3896 of 2026. In view of the fact that similarly placed persons were held to be entitled to receive compensation, the petitioners also should get the very same benefit.

6. For the foregoing reasons, the impugned award, dated

03.04.2025 passed by the 2^nd respondent is hereby quashed only insofar as the withholding of the compensation amount payable to the petitioners as determined under the impugned award is concerned, and the petitioners are entitled to receive the determined compensation amount as per the impugned award and the petitioners are also entitled to file appropriate application before the civil court seeking for disbursement of the determined compensation amount and the said civil court shall also consider the petitioners’ application seeking for enhancement of compensation on merits and in accordance with law.

7. In the above terms, this Writ Petition is disposed of. No costs.

Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petitions are closed.