M.RAMALINGA THEVAR vs STATE OF TAMIL NADU AND OTHERS

The Supreme Court held that under Section 11A of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, the period for making an award is two years from the date of declaration under Section 6, and if no award is made within that period, the proceedings lapse. The Court clarified that the period during which any action is stayed by a court order is excluded from this two-year period. In this case, the award was passed after the two-year period had expired, and thus the proceedings were deemed lapsed, overturning the High Court's decision.