1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD. FIRST APPEAL No. 1530 OF 2010 Sambharao S/o Tukaram Deshmukh .. APPELLANT VERSUS The State of Maharashtra & others .. RESPONDENTS WITH FIRST APPEAL No. 1531 OF 2010 Dharma Govinda Sonule .. APPELLANT VERSUS The State of Maharashtra & others .. RESPONDENTS ... Shri S.K. Adkine, Advocate for appellants in both the appeals Shri P.P. More, A.G.P. for respondent State in both the appeals. CORAM : S.V. GANGAPURWALA, J. DATE : 23rd SEPTEMBER, 2010. PER COURT: Rule, Rule returnable forthwith, with the consent of parties. Heard Shri S.K. Adkine, learned Counsel for the appellants and Shri P.P. More, learned A.G.P. for the respondent / State. 2. The land of the present appellants were acquired for the purpose of Upper Penganga 2 Project. The Special Land Acquisition Officer had awarded compensation at the rate of Rs.2,000/- per acre. The appellants filed Reference before the District Court. The Reference Court enhance the compensation to Rs. 3500/-. The appellants have assailed the said Award, passed by the Reference Court on the ground that the appellants are entitled to the compensation of Rs. 10,000/- per acre. Shri Adkine, learned Counsel for the appellant relies on the Judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge of this Hon’ble Court, dated 15/16th January, 2009, in First Appeal No. 109 of 1994, in respect of lands acquired for the same project. 3. In the said Judgment, this Court had enhanced compensation to Rs. 9,000/- per acre. Shri Adkine, learned Counsel relies on the Judgment of the Apex Court in a case of “Union of India V/s. Haridar Pal Singh and others reported in 2005, AIR, 5900” and contended that even if the area of land is acquired from different villages, all of them can be capable of being developed in same manner, and also, lands 3 acquired in that case, can be considered to be one single unit. In the light of the above and for the reasons recorded in Judgment in First Appeal No. 1094 of 1994 and other companion appeals. I allow the present appeals and hold that the appellants are entitled to get the amount of compensation at the rate of Rs. 9,000/- per acre. The claimant is also entitled to get the statutory interest at the rate of Rs. 9% per annum from the date of taking possession for a period of one year, and thereafter, at the rate of Rs.15% per annum, till realization of the amount. The claimants are also entitled to 30% solatium on the said enhanced amount, so also to get an interest at the rate of Rs. 12% per annum from the date of Notification U/Sec. 4 of the Act till the date of taking possession. As such, First Appeals are allowed. However, there shall be no order as to costs. The respondents shall pay the amount to the appellants as granted. Rule made absolute in above terms. [S.V. GANGAPURWALA,J] SDM* 1530.10FA