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National Highways Act, 1956 — Amendments and compensation provisions — Section 3-J introduced in 1997 removed applicability of Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (1894 Act) provisions for solatium and interest — Overturned by various High Courts, including reading down Sections 3-G and 3-J to grant solatium and interest — Subsequently, Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (2013 Act) and its amended provisions extended to NH Act — Court clarified that landowners acquired lands under NH Act between 1997 and 2015 are entitled to solatium and interest — Review Petition filed by NHAI arguing financial burden was underestimated rejected, but clarification on delayed claims issued. Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (CPC) — Order 21 Rule 102 — Applicability — Provision contemplates a situation where a judgment debtor transfers property after institution of suit to a person who then obstructs execution — Not applicable where respondents derived title from independent registered sale deeds, not from the judgment debtor. Land Acquisition Act, 1894 — Section 28-A — Re-determination of compensation — Second application for re-determination based on High Court award maintainable even after accepting compensation based on Reference Court award — Principle of merger means appellate court’s award supersedes earlier award, entitling landowners to benefit from higher compensation — Object of Section 28-A is to ensure equality in compensation among similarly placed landowners. Electricity Act, 2003 — Section 61, 86 — Tariff determination and Generation Based Incentive (GBI) — State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) has exclusive power to determine tariff — Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) introduced GBI to incentivise renewable energy generation — GBI is intended to be over and above the tariff fixed by SERC — SERC must consider GBI while determining tariff, but not necessarily deduct it — SERC’s power to determine tariff includes considering incentives — Parliament’s allocation of funds for GBI does not prevent SERC from considering it in tariff — SERC must exercise its power harmoniously with other stakeholders to achieve policy objectives. Contract Law — Award of Tender — Judicial Review — High Court should exercise restraint when reviewing tender evaluation processes, especially in technical matters, unless there is clear evidence of mala fide, arbitrariness, or irrationality — A marginal difference in scores, as seen in this case, does not automatically warrant interference, especially when the owner has the right to accept or reject bids and the contract is already underway.

Applying the law laid down by this Court in the case of Indore Development Authority vs. Manoharlal and Ors., (2020) 8 SCC 129 to the facts of the case on hand and more particularly, when even the original writ petitioner also admitted that the possession of the land in question was taken on 22.09.1997, there shall not be any deemed lapse under Section 24(2) of the Act, 2013 – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH UNION OF INDIA THROUGH LAND ACQUISITION COLLECTOR — Appellant Vs. RAJESH KUMAR AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and Manoj Misra,…

Notice under Section 12(2) of the LA Act was issued and served upon the original writ petitioner but he did not collect the compensation and therefore, the same was again sent to the revenue deposit, the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court declaring that the acquisition in respect of land in question is deemed to have lapsed is unsustainable – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. DAYANAND AND ANOTHER — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar, JJ.…

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 – Section 24(2) – Lapse of acquisition proceedings – Even when the Act, 2013 came into force the stay order continued to operate and due to which the possession of the land in question could not be taken, there shall be no deemed lapse under Section 24(2) of the Act, 2013.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH LAND ACQUISITION COLLECTOR AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. ASHOK KUMAR AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar, JJ. )…

Indore Development Authority Vs. Manoharlal and Ors. (2020) 8 SCC 129 HELD There shall not be any deemed lapse under Section 24(2) of the Act, 2013 – Under the circumstances, the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court is unsustainable and the same deserves to be quashed and set aside and is accordingly quashed and set aside – Appeal allowed.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI — Appellant Vs. SIDDHARTH KAPOOR AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar, JJ. )…

Karnataka Value Added Tax Act, 2003 – Section 70 – Mere production of the invoices or the payment made by cheques is not enough and cannot be said to be discharging the burden of proof cast under section 70 of the KVAT Act, 2003 – Unless and until the purchasing dealer discharges the burden cast

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF KARNATAKA — Appellant Vs. M/S ECOM GILL COFFEE TRADING PRIVATE LIMITED — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar,…

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