In Brief
The Supreme Court heard appeals by land claimants whose property was acquired for a rehabilitation project under the Hirehalla scheme in 2003. The Land Acquisition Officer had valued the land at Rs 24,500 per acre; the High Court increased this to Rs 1,56,000 per acre using 5% escalation. The claimants sought further enhancement, arguing the land had potential for development beyond agricultural use. Condoning substantial delays in filing petitions (recognizing villagers' lack of legal knowledge), the Court enhanced compensation to Rs 2,35,795 per acre, applying 10% cumulative annual escalation from 1994 onwards to reflect the land's development potential, but denied interest for the delay period.
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