Court hikes compensation for Barakhamba Metro station land owner

The Centre and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation have been ordered by a court here to enhance by over Rs 1.26 crore the compensation given to a firm for acquiring its 541 square meter plot to build Barakhamba Road Metro train station.

An additional district Judge asked the union government to pay the compensation to Jetways Travels Pvt Ltd, at an enhanced rate of Rs 81,429 per square meter, terming its earlier compensation at the rate of Rs 57,960 as “inadequate” and “unreasonable”.

It said the petitioner company was required to be paid compensation at the rate of Rs 81,429 per square meter. 

“Petitioner is entitled to enhancement of compensation to the tune of Rs 23,469 per square meter along with 30 per cent solatium (compensation for loss and inconvenience),” it said.

After enhancement, the travel company, situated at Barakhamba Road near Connaught Place, is entitled to get Rs 1,26,96,729 along with interest and solatium.  The additional district jugde  also directed that the order be sent to LAC for information and also to deposit the balance amount immediately to avoid further burden upon the government exchequer. 

The firm was having its plot measuring 541 square meter at Indraprakash Building at Barakhamba Road which was acquired by the government in 2003 to build the metro station for DMRC through a notification. 

While enhancing the compensation, the court referred to its another judgement in a similar case and in which the amount had been increased. 

The additional district jugdesaid the apex court has held that if compensation amount is already fixed for a land, then the same amount of compensation has to be given to other land owners whose similarly placed and situated, adjacent plots, are acquired under the same notification.

“The compensation has been awarded on the higher side as multi-national companies have shifted from Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place to the satellite towns of Gurgaon and Noida and market value of the property has diminished,” they said in their submissions in the court.