Judgment :- 1. Heard the arguments of Mr. Sivakumar, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mrs.Sneha, learned Government Advocate and perused the records. The learned Government Advocate also circulated the original records relating to the acquisition in question. 2. In this writ petition, the challenge is to the notification issued under Section 4(1) of the Tamil Nadu Act 31 of 1978 dated 27. 2001 and also published in the Vellore District Gazette dated 30.7.2001. The ground taken by the three petitioners was that they were living in Chittoor, though they were owning land in the Serkkadu village, Gudiyatham Taluk. They were not given notice as required under Section 4(2) before the acquisition was started. 3. The writ petition was admitted on 10. 2001 and an interim order was granted against dispossession of their land. The said interim order was made absolute on 9. 2003. In response to the admission of the writ petition, a counter-affidavit dated 5. 2002 has been filed by the second respondent. With reference to the service of notice under Section 4(2), in the counter-affidavit in paragraph 2, it is averred as follows:- "2. ... Hereafter, the Form I notice issued to the land owners on 211. 2000 fixing enquiry on 112. 2000. As the land owners Tmt.Kamalammal and her son Janarthanam are residing at Chittoor District in Andhra Pradesh State and another land owner Tmt.Prema is residing in Arumbaruthi village, Katpadi Taluk and the correct residential address of the land owners could not find out, the Form I notice was served by means of affixture. The Form I intended to the land owners was pasted in the stick and published in the acquisition field by beat of tom tom in the village. The land owners did not appear for enquiry conducted on 112. 2000." This stand of the respondent is not in consonance with Section 4(2) read with Rule 3 of the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of land for Harijan Welfare Schemes Rules, 1979. Rule 3(1) reads as follows:- "3. Procedure for acquiring land - (i) The District Collector or the officer authorised by him in this behalf shall serve a show cause notice in Form I under sub-section (2) of section 4 individually on the owner or on all persons interested in the land to be acquired. Rule 3(1) reads as follows:- "3. Procedure for acquiring land - (i) The District Collector or the officer authorised by him in this behalf shall serve a show cause notice in Form I under sub-section (2) of section 4 individually on the owner or on all persons interested in the land to be acquired. If the owner or any other person interested in the land resides elsewhere than where the land is situated, the show cause notice shall be sent by registered post (Acknowledgment Due) to the last known address of the owner or any other person interested." Therefore, the stand of the respondents is clearly contradictory to the Rule framed by the State under Tamil Nadu Act 31 of 1978. In the original file, there is not even any statement of the respondents that even the so-called affixture was done on the stick erected in the land belonging to the petitioners. Though the notice under Section 4(2) was directed to be served by the Village Administrative Officer, no endorsement by the Village Administrative Officer is found in the file. 4. The learned Government Advocate strenuously contended that they are not aware of the address of the land owners and therefore, it could not be served. The said contention cannot be countenanced in the matter of land acquisition. With reference to the address not being available as contended by the learned Government Advocate cannot be accepted because the notice in Form III read with Rule 5(2) was sent by registered post to the petitioners/land owners in their address at Chittoor, which is found in the original file in running pages at 148, 150 and 152 and the same contains the signature of the land owners. When the Act prescribed a particular manner for serving notice, the State cannot plead its helplessness in not serving the notice in the manner known to law. The least is the land owner can be served with a formal notice under Section 4(2). In the absence of such notice being served, any proceeding which culminated in a final order cannot be sustained. 5. Under these circumstances, the writ petition stands allowed and the notification under Section 4(1) published in Form II in the Vellore District Gazette dated 30.7.2001 will stand set aside, insofar as the petitioners are concerned The respondents are at liberty to proceed in accordance with law. No costs.