Parmod KumarNew Delhi, July 23 -- Favouring an amendment to the National Highways Act, 1956, the Supreme Court on Thursday observed that it was, prima facie, not acceptable for compensation disputes arising out of land acquisition to be be decided by government-appointed bureaucrats, terming it a systemic disadvantage faced by landowners under the Act.
Observing that determination of compensation is a purely judicial exercise, the Court favoured amending the National Highways Act so that such disputes are decided by a judicially trained adjudicators, noting that while compensation disputes under all other land acquisition laws are adjudicated by judicially trained authorities, the Highways Act alone entrusts the exercise entirely to bureau...