Delhi-Katra Expressway: Punjab & Haryana High Court Refuses Interim Relief In Plea Seeking Supplementary Award For Compensation

The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently refused to grant interim relief to the petitioners whose residential houses and other structures are allegedly being demolished without any supplementary award being passed for compensation for the structures. The properties are coming under the ‘Punjab Section of Delhi-Katra Expressway’.

The division bench of Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Ritu Tagore observed:

“Be that as it may, at this stage arguments were addressed qua interim relief. We do not find any ground whatsoever to grant any interim relief at this stage to scuttle the project namely ‘Development of Punjab Section of Delhi-Katra Expressway including green field connectivity to Amritsar’.”

The counsel appearing for NHAI submitted that in so far as residential houses are concerned, there is only one residential house of one of the petitioners and the main structure of the house is outside the alignment with only the boundary wall falling in the alignment for which a supplementary award has been passed by the competent authority.

The Court was informed that for other structures such as tube-well, bore-well etc., some of the petitioners have not set up their claim with regard to the said structures.

It was further stated that in other cases, award for the structures was passed in June/August, 2022.

However, the counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that petitioners are not aware of any supplementary award, which has been passed and neither have they received the compensation thereof. The Counsel further sought to raise other arguments and pleas challenging the very acquisition itself.

The matter is adjourned to July 10.

Case Title: Darshan Singh & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.

Coram: Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Ritu Tagore

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