Jurisdiction Over Telegraph Act Compensation Disputes: Analysis of Recent Allahabad High Court Ruling
Jurisdiction Over Telegraph Act Compensation Disputes: Analysis of Recent Allahabad High Court Ruling By: Abhishek Jat, Advocate The Allahabad High Court has recently reaffirmed a significant jurisdictional principle concerning compensation disputes under the Telegraph Act, 1885. In a noteworthy judgment delivered on April 2, 2025, the division bench comprising Justices Shekhar B. Saraf and Vipin Chandra Dixit clarified that the District Judge, not the District Magistrate, holds exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate matters related to the adequacy and sufficiency of compensation under Section 16(3) of the Telegraph Act. The case originated from agricultural landowners in Bareilly district whose properties were affected by the Northern Region System Strengthening Scheme-XXI, a transmission project approved by the Ministry of Power. The Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) had erected transmission towers on the petitioners' lands after exercising powers conferred by Section ...