UNION OF INDIA Vs. PUNJAB COLONISING CO

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These are three appeals. One is by the owner (R.P.A. 172 of 1967) and the other two (R.F.A. 331 of 1968 and S4 of 1971) are by the Union of India, the taker of the land. The common question in these appeals is this: What was th3 market value of the land on November 13,1959 ?

(2.) The land in all the three cases was acquired by a common notification under s. 4 of the Land Acquisition Act (the Act) dated November 13, 1959. By this notification land measuring 72 bighas and 17 biswas in the estate of Bahapur was acquired by the Government for a public purpose. This included the lands of Ranjit Singh, appellant in R.F.A. 172 of 1967 and Punjab Colonising Co. respondent in Appeal No. 331 of 1968 as well as of Rajesh and Bhoop Singh, respondents in R.F.A. 84 of 1971.

(3.) ID due course the Land Acquisition Collector made the award (Award No. 1690). He assessed the market value of the whole of the acquired land at a flat rate of Rs. 1600.00 per bigha.