In Brief
Sumitraben Singabhai Gamit owned land in Gujarat that was partly used for canal construction without formal acquisition or compensation. The High Court had fixed 1st January 2014 (the date the Land Acquisition Act 2013 commenced) as the date for determining compensation value. The Supreme Court disagreed, holding that under Section 26(1) of the 2013 Act, the date for valuing land must be when the acquisition notification is formally issued, not a fixed statutory date. This ensures landowners receive compensation reflecting current market rates, not outdated valuations. The Court set aside the High Court's order and directed that compensation be calculated based on the market value on the date of the Section 11 notification."
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