D N NANJUNDA REDDY Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In these writ petitions, the petitioners have prayed for a writ in the nature of cetiorari declaring the award dated 5-2-2010 at Annexure-C as illegal and consequently to quash the preliminary notification dated 16-10-2006 at Annexure-A and the final notification dated 1-3-2007 at Annexure-B. Petitioners have alternatively prayed for grant of equal area of land belonging to the State Government situated just behind the land now acquired by the respondents in lieu of compensation.

(2.) Petitioners are the owners of certain lands situated at Bagepalli Town, Chikkaballapura District. For the purpose of widening the road, the respondents notified to acquired these lands and other lands under a preliminary notification dated 16-10-2006 and the same ended in a final notification dated 22-2-2007. The petitioners being aggrieved by the preliminary notification and the final notification approached this Court in separate writ petitions in W.P No. 4786 of 2007 and connected matters. This Court vide order dated 24-4-2009 and connected petitions in W.P. No 4786 of 2007 and connected petitions in W.P. No 4786 of 2007 and connected matters and upheld the acquisition proceedings. Even writ appeals filed by the petitioner came to be dismissed. It is submitted that some of the petitioners had taken the matter to Supreme Court by filing special leave petition and the same came to be rejected confirming the acquisition proceedings. Now the respondents have passed the impugned award on 5-2-2010. The petitioner are before this Court questioning the impugned award at Annexure-C, dated 5-2-2010, on the ground that the same is passed beyond two years from the date of final notification on 22-2-2007 and therefore the acquisition proceedings are lapsed under Section 11-A of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. Hence these writ petitions.

(3.) Heard arguments on both the side and perused the entire writ papers.