In Brief
This appeal challenges a High Court decision that reduced land acquisition compensation from Rs.1,62,500 per hectare to Rs.50,000-9,500 and denied compensation for 325 orange trees. The claimant's agricultural land near Karanja town was acquired for a percolation tank in 1986-87. The Court held the High Court erred by ignoring ample evidence: the land was 85-90% irrigated with perennial water supply, and 4-5 year-old orange trees were ripe for bearing fruit and merited compensation. The Court upheld the Reference Court's valuation approach but reduced the orange tree multiplier from twenty to ten years purchase. The Court awarded Rs.1,50,000 per hectare, Rs.10,000 for structures, and Rs.600 per orange tree (total Rs.1,95,000), plus statutory benefits.
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