In Brief
The Supreme Court partly allowed an appeal by agricultural landholders whose property was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for the Telugu Ganga Project. Although the appellants filed their compensation appeal 3671 days late, the Court condoned the delay, holding that agriculturists deserve a pragmatic, justice-oriented approach rather than a technical, pedantic one. Where similarly situated farmers received higher compensation rates, these cannot be denied solely on grounds of delay. The Court enhanced compensation for pomegranate trees from Rs. 32 to Rs. 1,500 per tree and for lime trees from Rs. 70-100 to Rs. 250 per tree, but withheld interest during the delay period while preserving statutory benefits like solatium.
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