In Brief
The Supreme Court examined whether the National Highways Act's compensation scheme applies the same principles as the Land Acquisition Act. The Court held that the schemes are fundamentally different. Under the National Highways Act, either party—including the government—may challenge a compensation determination by the competent authority through arbitration. The lower courts had incorrectly applied Land Acquisition Act principles to National Highways cases. The Court set aside the impugned judgments and remanded the cases for decision under the Arbitration Act's Section 37 jurisdiction, holding that the government could seek arbitration for compensation awards it found unacceptable.
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