State Of Haryana v. Bhagwati Devi (Died) By Lrs. And Ors.
2000-01-11
G.S.SINGHVI, IQBAL SINGH
body2000
DigiLaw.ai
Judgment Iqbal Singh, J. 1. This order will dispose of Letters Patent Appeal No. 2211 of 1989 filed on behalf of the State of Haryana (appellant) and Cross-objection No. 7 of 1990 filed on behalf of Smt. Bhagwati Devi (respondent) arising out of the judgment of the learned Single Judge dated 2nd June, 1989. 2. Land measuring 3 kanals and 12 marlas was acquired by the Government of Haryana vide notification dated 13th June, 1975 issued under section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short the Act) for extension of "Sabzi Mandi in Rewari town. The market value assessed by the Land Acquisition Collector was at the rate of Rs. 10/- per square yard. A reference under section 18 of the Act was made against this award. The Additional District judge, Narnaul, vide his judgment dated 20th April, 1982, determined the market value of the acquired land on the date of the notification at Rs. 40/- per square yard besides solatium at the rate of 15 percent. It is further directed that the appellant-State would pay interest to the respondent at the rate of 6 percent per annum from the date of taking over possession i.e. 8th January, 1976. The Additional District Judge also awarded compensation to the extent of Rs. 2,250/- to Lala Ram (petitioner No. 2 before the Additional District Judge) besides solatium and interest, as stated above. 3. Aggrieved against the judgment dated 20th April, 1982, passed by the Additional District Judge, Narnaul, respondent Smt. Bhagwati Devi filed Regular First Appeal No. 1054 of 1982, which was decided by a learned Single Judge of this Court on 2nd June, 1989. The learned Single Judge, after taking into consideration the potentiality of the acquired land and the sale deed (Exhibit P. 19), came to the conclusion that the acquired land would have fetched the price of Rs. 219/- per square yard. However, by applying the cut of 1/3rd, the learned Single Judge increased the amount of compensation to Rs. 146/- per square yard.
219/- per square yard. However, by applying the cut of 1/3rd, the learned Single Judge increased the amount of compensation to Rs. 146/- per square yard. As regards the grant of statutory benefits under sections 23(1-A) and 28 of the Amended Land Acquisition Act, the learned Single Judge held that since the award had been announced by the Land Acquisition Court before 30th April, 1982, the claimant could only be entitled to grant of solatium at the rate of 15 percent per annum on the market value determined in consideration of compulsory nature of the acquisition, as has been held by their Lordships of the Supreme Court on 16th May,1989, which deciding Review petition No. 671 of 1985 in Civil Appeal No. 1965 of 1984 (Union of India v. Raghubir Singh (dead) by Lrs. etc.) and several other cases. 4. This Letter Patent Appeal has been preferred by the State of Haryana (appellant) against the judgment rendered by the learned Single judge dated 2nd June, 1989. At the time of motion hearing, the learned Senior Deputy Advocate General, Haryana appearing for the appellant restricted his argument to the grant of benefit under sections 23(1-A) and 28 of the Land Acquisition Act, as amended whereas the learned counsel for the respondent (Cross Objector) has confined his argument to the extent that cut on the market value determined with reference to the sale transaction (Exhibit P. 19) by the learned Single Judge should have been 1/4th instead of 1/3rd. 5. We have heard Shri Jaswant Singh, learned Deputy Advocate General, Haryana, for the appellant and Shri S.C. Sibal, Senior Advocate assisted by Shri V.S. Rana, Advocate, for the respondents and have gone through the records of the case. 6. The learned Single Judge made the sale transaction (Exhibit P. 19) the sole basis for determining the market value of the acquired land. Vide sale deed (Exhibit P19) part of the acquired land was sold at Rs. 219/- per square yard.
6. The learned Single Judge made the sale transaction (Exhibit P. 19) the sole basis for determining the market value of the acquired land. Vide sale deed (Exhibit P19) part of the acquired land was sold at Rs. 219/- per square yard. The learned Single Judge, observing that since on three sides of the acquired land there is approach road and since the acquired land cannot be described to be a big chunk of land and, rather, can easily be described to be a small plot of 3 kanals 12 marlas, which on conversion into square yards would come to be about 2200 square yards, formed the view that a cut of 1/3rd was needed to be applied and that this cut of 1/3rd may be considered and attributed towards the smallness of the size of the plot sold by Exhibit P.19 or towards the development of the acquired land. The learned counsel for the cross objector/respondent has stated that the cut of 1/3rd applied by the learned Single Judge cannot be described to be as justified keeping in view the potentiality of the land after further development. We agree with the learned counsel for the cross-objector/respondent on this point and accordingly, hold that cut of 1/3rd on the market value determined with reference to the sale transaction (Exhibit P19) is on the excessive side. Keeping in view the potentiality of the acquired land and its location, we find it just and appropriate to impose a cut of 1/4th instead of 1/3rd on Rs. 219/- per square yard i.e. the sale price of the acquired land sold vide sale deed Exhibit P.19. We order accordingly. 7. As regards the direction given by the learned Single Judge for grant of statutory benefits in terms of sections 23(1-A) and 28 ibid on the entire amount of compensation. We are of the opinion that the same requires modification.
We order accordingly. 7. As regards the direction given by the learned Single Judge for grant of statutory benefits in terms of sections 23(1-A) and 28 ibid on the entire amount of compensation. We are of the opinion that the same requires modification. Accordingly, it is ordered that the respondent/claimant shall get the benefits of the amended provisions of sections 23(1-A) and 28 ibid on the amount of enhanced compensation as ordered by the learned Single Judge and on the amount to be calculated after reducing the cut from 1/3rd to 1/4th on the market value determined by the learned Single Judge with reference to the sale transaction (Exhibit P. 19) as mentioned above from the date of coming into force of the amendment in the Act till the date of actual-payment of compensation. 8. The Letters Patent Appeal and Cross-Objections are, accordingly, partly allowed to the extent of the modification in the judgment passed by the learned Single Judge, as indicated above.