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1996 DIGILAW 170 (MAD)

D. N. Nagaraja Iyer v. State of Madras represented by District Collector, Dharmapuri

1996-02-09

P.SATHASIVAM

body1996
Judgment :- 1. First plaintiff is the appellant in the above Second Appeal. The first plaintiff viz., D.N. Nagaraja Iyer and one K. Krishnasamy Iyer filed O.S. No. 150 of 67 on the file of Additional District Munsif, Dharmapuri for mandatory injunction against the defendants, namely, State of Madras represented by District Collector, Dharmapuri, and Union of India represented by General Manager, Southern Railway, directing them to retransfer the suit property to the plaintiff and for recovery of possession of the same. The case of the plaintiff is briefly as follows:— The suit property comprised in old Survey No. 32(B) extending to 6-48 cents was acquired by Government of Madras for and on behalf of the then South Indian Railway Company Limited for construction of Dharmapuri Railway Station, Loco Shed, Goods Shed, Yard and Staff Quarters on the then Morappur-Hosur line. Acquisition was made from one Subbaraya Iyer and Venkata Iyer, the forefathers of the plaintiff. Morappur-Hosur Railway line was dismantled in 1943 due to lack of trafffic and other reasons. Consequently, the suit land was relinquished by the Railway company to the Government of Madras. 2. It is further contended that in the year 1946 the Tahsildar of Dharmapuri on 11-6-1946 advertised the auction sale of the relinquished land calling upon the original owner or their descendants to apply for resale in their favour. The plaintiff sent an application to the District Collector for reassignment of the land in their favour. But they did not get any reply. The first plaintiff after coming to understand that the relinquished Railway lands are sought to be assigned to third parties, submitted an application on 7-1-63 to the District Revenue Officer, Salem, requesting him to drop or at least stay the assignment proceedings, pending disposal of their application for retransfer. The Revenue Department by its order dated 26-4-1964 has informed the plaintiff that the lands were not available for assignment as they were required for Railways. The suit property is no more required for the purpose for which it was acquired. New Railway line, Salem-Bangalore line is laid far away from the suit property. Therefore, the purpose of the acquisition has been ceased and the plaintiffs as the descendants of the original owners of the property acquired, are entitled to reassignment on payment of the cost price of acquisition. New Railway line, Salem-Bangalore line is laid far away from the suit property. Therefore, the purpose of the acquisition has been ceased and the plaintiffs as the descendants of the original owners of the property acquired, are entitled to reassignment on payment of the cost price of acquisition. The plaintiffs issued a suit notice to the District Collector of Dharmapuri and the Union of India by the General Manager of Southern Railway on 30-5-66. The plaintiffs did not get any reply from them. Hence the present suit is filed as stated above. Disclaimer: The text is computer generated. The user must verify the authenticity of the extracted portion with the certified copy of the judgment.