The Supreme Court has refused to review its ruling granting solatium and interest to landowners retrospectively under the National Highways Act. The decision, made by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, upholds the court's 2019 judgment and a subsequent order in February 2025.
The ruling has significant implications for landowners across the country, particularly in states with high highway acquisition activity. The court has clarified that landowners whose lands were acquired between 1997 and 2015 are entitled to solatium and interest as part of 'just compensation'. However, the court has also set a cut-off date of March 28, 2008, for landowners to claim these benefits.
The court has also emphasized the need to preserve certainty in litigation, stating that once a judgment or order has attained finality, it cannot be reopened merely on the basis of a subsequent declaration of law.
The decision is expected to have wide ramifications across the country and settles the long-standing tension between ensuring parity in compensation and maintaining the finality of concluded proceedings.
