SC judgement offers clarity on lapse of land acquisition process

It is conventional wisdom that the Indian state enjoys the power of ‘eminent domain’, which refers to the power of the sovereign to acquire private immovable property for public use, provided the public nature of the usage can be demonstrated beyond doubt, by following a procedure established by law and upon payment of just compensation to the owner of such property. Payment of fair compensation to land owners in exchange of expropriation of their land by the state for public use, forms the most significant component of jurisprudence around land acquisition in India.