[‘the Highway Project’, for short] is being undertaken by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways [MoRTH], Government of India [GoI] under the provisions of the National Highways Act, 1956 [‘the N.H. Act, 1956’, for short]. In the Notification issued under Section 3A of the N.H. Act, 1956 published in daily newspapers, on 20.03.2020, the parcels of land belonging to the petitioners were found mentioned to be acquired for the building/construction of the Highway Project. The Notification under Section 3A was followed by a Notification under Section 3D of the N.H. Act, 1956 on 09.10.2020. Subsequently another Notification and a Corrigendum under Section 3D of the N.H. Act, 1956 were published on 24.10.2020 and 07.05.2021 respectively and in connection with those subsequent Notifications and Corrigendum, another Notification under Section 3D was published on 26.06.2021. Pursuant to the Notifications under Section 3D, the Competent Authority Land Acquisition [CALA] appointed under Section 3[a] of the N.H. Act, 1956 assessed the compensation amounts in respect of the parcels of land belonging to the petitioners and the buildings/structures standing thereon. Having regard to the compensation amounts so assessed by the CALA in respect of their parcels of land and the buildings/structures standing thereon, the petitioners stated to have submitted applications for enhancement/assessment/re-assessment of some building/ structures standing on the parcels of land which are sought to be acquired before the Arbitrator appointed by the MoRTH, GoI under Section 3G[5] of the N.H. Act, 1956.
