The Supreme Court has directed the Haryana Government to pay additional Rs 9,24,644 per acre to landowners in Manesar, Gurgaon, for the acquisition of 771 acres of land in 2002 for the second and third phases of the Industrial Model Township (IMT). A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya asked the state government and the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) to pay the hiked compensation with all statutory benefits within four months from July 2. The ruling came on a bunch of appeals filed by the HSIIDC and the landowners challenging a judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court enhancing the compensation from Rs 28.15 lakh per acre to Rs 37.4 per acre. Besides directing the state government and the HSIIDC to pay the enhanced amount decided by a Single-Judge Bench of the HC, the SC remitted the matter back to the HC for a “fresh disposal of the appeals filed by the parties”. The SC noted that the HSIIDC had allotted land to Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (Private) Limited at the rate of Rs 1,254.18 per square yard. Although this document was produced before the Reference Court, it was not taken into consideration while determining the amount of compensation. The same error was repeated in the HC verdict. “If this document is taken into consideration, the market value of the acquired land would come to Rs 60,69,360 per acre. By making a deduction of 50 per cent towards development cost and granting an annual increase of 12/15 per cent (cumulative), the market value of the land will be much higher than Rs 37.4 lakh,” the SC explained while giving the reason for sending back the case to the HC. Of the 771 acres of the acquired land, the HSIIDC had allotted 600 acres to the Maruti Udyog Limited at Rs 19 lakh per acre in 2008. The company’s counsel had contended that the HSIIDC had already demanded on October 10, 2012, an additional Rs 500 crore in lieu of the enhanced compensation to landowners. THE TUSSLE 771 acres of land was acquired in Manesar, Gurgaon, for the second and third phases of the Industrial Model Township (IMT) in 2002 The Punjab and Haryana High Court had enhanced the land acquisition compensation from Rs 28.15 lakh to Rs 37.4 lakh per acre