Case Note & Summary
The Supreme Court of India adjudicated a Review Petition filed by the Appellants seeking recall of its earlier order in Tarsem Singh-II, which had dismissed NHAI's application for clarification that the judgment in Tarsem Singh-I would apply prospectively. The dispute centered on landowners' entitlement to solatium and interest as part of compensation for land acquisition under the National Highways Act, 1956, particularly for acquisitions during the period from 1997 to 2015. The background involved legislative amendments, including the insertion of Section 3-J in 1997, which initially excluded solatium and interest, and subsequent judicial challenges leading to Tarsem Singh-I, where the Supreme Court declared Section 3-J unconstitutional to that extent and extended these benefits. In Tarsem Singh-II, the court rejected NHAI's plea for prospective application and addressed arguments on financial burden. The legal issue was whether the Review Petition should be allowed based on NHAI's contention of a clerical error in the estimated financial burden, now corrected from Rs. 100 crores to approximately Rs. 29,000 crores. NHAI argued this constituted an error apparent on the record warranting reconsideration. The court analyzed that the corrected estimate did not justify revisiting the merits, as the constitutional guarantee of just compensation under Article 300A cannot be contingent on financial burden, and such escalation alone is not a valid ground for review. The court dismissed the Review Petition, upholding the entitlement to solatium and interest and affirming that fiscal implications cannot override substantive rights.
Headnote
A) Constitutional Law - Land Acquisition - Just Compensation - Article 300A Constitution of India - The court held that the constitutional guarantee of just compensation cannot be rendered contingent upon the magnitude of financial burden, and fiscal implications cannot override substantive entitlement of land-losers. (Paras 7-8) B) Land Acquisition - National Highways Act - Solatium and Interest - National Highways Act, 1956, Section 3-J - The court upheld that landowners are entitled to solatium and interest for acquisitions during the period between 1997 (insertion of Section 3-J) and 2015 (application of 2013 Act), declaring Section 3-J unconstitutional to that extent. (Paras 5.11-5.12) C) Civil Procedure - Review Jurisdiction - Error Apparent on Record - Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - The court held that a mere escalation in projected financial liability, even if significant, does not constitute a valid ground for review or modification of judgment, as it does not amount to an error apparent on the face of the record. (Paras 6-8)
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Issue of Consideration: Whether the Review Petition should be allowed to recall the order in Tarsem Singh-II based on a corrected estimate of financial burden for payment of solatium and interest to landowners under the National Highways Act, 1956
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Final Decision
The Supreme Court dismissed the Review Petition, upholding the order in Tarsem Singh-II and affirming landowners' entitlement to solatium and interest under the National Highways Act, 1956
