In Brief
Land acquired by the Ghaziabad Development Authority from multiple farmers in the same village under the same notification. The High Court awarded compensation to some farmers at Rs.297 per square yard but limited the appellants' compensation to Rs.115 per square yard (the rate they had claimed), arguing court fees had been paid accordingly. The Supreme Court held that after the 1984 amendment to the Land Acquisition Act, courts must award just and fair compensation based on true market value, irrespective of the amount claimed. Since the appellants' land was acquired under the same notification as similarly-situated farmers who received Rs.297 per square yard, they too were entitled to the same rate. Technical grounds like court fee amounts cannot deny fair compensation. The Court allowed the appeal and directed payment of the compensation differential, directing the appellants to pay the deficiency in court fees."
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