Nagpur: In a rare move to enforce payment of land acquisition compensation, the Washim court has ordered attachment of the Tondgaon-Dhumka toll plaza operated by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Washim district, after the authority allegedly failed to comply with an arbitration award and subsequent recovery proceedings.The order, passed last month, is believed to be the first instance in which a court has directed the attachment of an NHAI toll plaza for recovery of compensation payable to landowners whose property was acquired for a national highway project.“No say filed by respondent, neither any amount deposited or dispute raised about amount due. Considering the same, issue attachment warrant of the prayed property of NHAI on payment of process and charges,” principal district judge Anil Subramaniam ordered district administration.The dispute relates to land owned by Babytai Dinkar Garje and her son, Vitthal, at Jambharun Navji village in Washim district. Their non-agricultural plots located along State Highway 51 between Washim and Risod were acquired for construction of the new bypass on National Highway 161.As per the landowners’ counsel Uday Deshmukh, the land acquisition officer and sub-divisional officer awarded compensation only for the authorised plots to Garjes, while denying compensation for internal roads, open spaces and areas reserved for public amenities that formed part of the approved layout but were also acquired.He contended that although the land abutted the state highway and should have been valued according to the applicable Ready Reckoner rates for highway frontage, the authorities instead calculated compensation using lower rates applicable to Jambharun Navji village, located nearly 500 metres away.Challenging the award, the landowners initiated arbitration proceedings. The additional district collector, Washim, subsequently enhanced the compensation, holding that the acquired roads, open spaces and amenity areas were also eligible for compensation. He also directed that compensation for the acquired plots be recalculated using the higher valuation applicable to land adjoining the state highway.The NHAI, however, allegedly failed to deposit the enhanced compensation. The landowners thereafter filed six execution applications before the District Court, Washim, seeking recovery of the amount.Observing that the NHAI had not complied with the recovery proceedings, the court ordered attachment of the toll plaza situated in Survey No. 302 at Tondgaon, the only NHAI toll plaza within Washim district. The booth reportedly collects between ₹2 lakh and ₹3 lakh daily from four-wheeled vehicles, as per the landowners’ lawyer.
