HCs can't dismiss appeals in land acquisition matters on limitations by applying pedantic approach: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court allowed more than a batch of over 500 petitions filed by Karnataka and other state governments against the high court's orders dismissing the appeals filed against ''excessive" compensation granted to landowners for acquisition of lands under Section 74 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma directed the high courts to avoid a pedantic approach as against a pragmatic one in dealing with the applications seeking condonation of delay in such matters.

"Section 74 of the 2013 Act does not bar the application of Section 5 (which empowered courts to condone delay due to sufficient cause) of the Limitation Act. Consequently, all the applications seeking condonation of delay in preferring the first appeals before the high courts under Section 74 of the 2013 Act stand allowed,'' the bench said.

The court directed all the respective state governments to take necessary measures and issue appropriate directions to the officers dealing with the appeals under Section 74 of the 2013 Act against the award passed after the commencement of the 2013 Act to ensure that the appeals are filed as provided under Section 74 of the 2013 Act.

Dealing with the matter, the bench flagged concerns on collusion and active connivance of the different persons, including the office of the acquiring body and that of their counsel and their "lackadaisical" approach in filing appeals.

Emphasising that the "malice" must be addressed by creating a better management and monitoring system, the bench said, ''Accountability is an important facet in a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law. When an instrumentality of the State and its officials act with such connivance and collusion, it not only undermines the administration of justice but also erodes public confidence in the legal system.''

The court said, "The repeated failure to pursue remedies within time cannot be brushed aside as mere negligence and calls for fixing responsibility on the erring officials."

"The very appeals before us, approximately 530 in number, are classic examples of such official connivance. As a matter of fact, we find that in most of these cases, even copy applications had not been filed within the time prescribed, pursuant to the judgments delivered by the reference court,'' the bench said.

Attorney General R Venkataramani assisted the court, which rendered its judgment on February 9, 2026.

According to the Karnataka government officials, these appeals were related to major land acquisition projects such as the Upper Krishna Basin Project, Singatalur Lift Irrigation Project, state highway projects, and other important development works.

"The judgment has far-reaching implications for the State’s finances. Owing to the successful challenge mounted by the Karnataka government, alongside Karnataka Neerawari Nigama, public money running into several tens of thousands crores of rupees, which was at stake, stands protected," they said.

In September 2025, the Karnataka government constituted a high-level inquiry committee to examine the causes of delay in filing land acquisition appeals and to fix responsibility on erring officers. The committee’s report is expected to be tabled soon. Numerous instances of such delays have been noticed from 2019 onwards, they added.