Summary: A court case in Maharashtra about land payment took an interesting turn. The court decided to increase the payment for landowners whose lands were taken for a water tank project. The state wanted to pay less, but the court didn't agree.
In this case, several landowners from Babhalgaon, Latur, had their lands taken by the state to build a Percolation Tank. They weren't happy with the payment offered and took the matter to court. The initial payment was between Rs. 1394 and Rs. 2788 per R, but the landowners wanted more.
The court, led by Judges Nitin B. Suryawanshi and Sandipkumar C. More, looked at how valuable the land was. The land was near important places like highways, colleges, and government offices. The landowners argued that their land was worth more because of this.
"The learned Reference Judge definitely erred in not considering the comparable sale instances of the same village."
The State of Maharashtra, on the other hand, thought the payment was already too high. They wanted it reduced. They pointed to other court cases to support their argument.
The court decided to increase the payment to Rs. 165 per square foot. This was based on similar land sales in the area. The judges also corrected a mistake about when interest on the payment should start.
"We deem it appropriate to grant enhanced compensation... at the rate of Rs.165/- per sq.ft."
The court ordered the State of Maharashtra to pay the increased payment along with interest and other benefits. The state’s attempts to lower the payment were dismissed.
The court ruled in favor of the landowners, deciding that they should receive a higher payment for their lands, along with interest and other benefits. The state's request to reduce the payment was turned down.
