WP/1344/2011 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE OF BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO. 1344 OF 2011 Manikrao Raising Deceased through L.Rs. A) Sahebrao Manikrao Chandense, Age 65 Years, Occ. Agriculture, R/o Gandheli, Tq. & Dist.Aurangabad B) Sursingh Manikrao Chandense Age 60 Years, Occ. Agriculture, R/o Gandheli, Tq. & Dist.Aurangabad C) Bhimrao Manikrao Chandense Age 58 Years, Occ. Agriculture, R/o Gandheli, Tq. & Dist.Aurangabad D) Ramrao Manikrao Chandense Age 49 Years, Occ. Agriculture, R/o Gandheli, Tq. & Dist.Aurangabad ..Petitioners Versus 1. The State of Maharashtra Through the Ministry of Urban Development, Mantralaya, Mumbai 32. 2.The Land Acquisition Officer, Aurangabad. 3.The Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation (EGS), Division No.2, Aurangabad. ..Respondents ... Shri Anand P.Bhandari, Advocate for petitioners and Smt. R.K.Ladda, AGP for respondents. ... WP/1344/2011 2 CORAM : P.V.HARDAS & A.V.POTDAR,JJ. Dated : February 24, 2011 ORAL JUDGMENT : (Per HARDAS, J.) :- 1. Heard learned counsel for the respective parties. 2. Rule. By consent, Rule made returnable forthwith and the petition is heard finally at the stage of admission. 3. The petitioners dispute in respect of the compensation payable to the petitioners in respect of the acquisition of their land, ultimately came to be settled amicable before the Lok-Adalat about seventeen months back. Though the award of the Lok-Adalat was passed on 5.7.2009, the petitioners have not been paid as per the said award. The petitioners, therefore, being piqued by the inaction on the part of the respondents, have filed the present Writ Petition. 4. We obviously cannot countenance such a lackadaisical approach on the part of the respondents. The petitioners are entitled for payment of compensation as per the award of the Lok-Adalat within a reasonable period. By no stretch of imagination the period of seventeen months can be said to be a reasonable period. In that light of the matter, therefore, we are inclined to allow this Writ Petition and direct the respondents to pay the amount of compensation as per the award of the WP/1344/2011 3 Lok-Adalat, together with all the benefits to which the petitioners are entitled to, within a stipulated period. 5. In the result, the Writ Petition is allowed and Rule made absolute by directing the respondents to pay the amount of compensation, as determined by the Lok-Adalat, within six months from today, together with all the benefits to which the petitioners are entitled to. In the circumstances, there shall be no order as to costs. (A.V.POTDAR, J.) (P.V.HARDAS, J.) ... akl