In Brief
NOIDA sought to acquire over 108 hectares in Noida for industrial development, invoking the urgency clause under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. Some landowners challenged this as illegal. The High Court found the urgency clause was indeed invoked illegally, but refused to quash the acquisition since substantial development had occurred and only 11 of many landowners challenged it years later. Instead, it ordered compensation under the 2013 Act (higher rates) for those who had not accepted earlier settlement. Landowners who had voluntarily settled got no additional relief. The Supreme Court upheld this approach, finding the High Court correctly balanced private rights against public interest by using its discretionary writ powers equitably rather than nullifying completed development.
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