BAROT MAFATLAL KEDARSINGH Vs. SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFICER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This batch of six appeals raise common questions and arises out of impugned common judgment. Therefore, they are being disposed of by this common judgment.

(2.) The appellants are the original claimants and owners of the lands which came to be acquired by virtue of a notification under Section 4 (1) dated 25/3/1975 and published in Gujarat Government Gazette on 3/4/1975 followed by a notification under Section 6(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (Act) on 20/12/1976 and published on 27/1/1977. The public notice as well as individual notices were published and served. The claimants raised their claim before the Land Acquisition Officer. The Land Acquisition Officer by his award dated 22/1/1979 fixed the market price at the rate of Rs.6.00, Rs.7.00 and Rs.8/per sq. mtr. under Section 11 of the Act. Being dissatisfied by the award of the Land Acquisition Officer respondent no. 1 made applications for a reference under Section 18 of the Act claiming an amount of Rs.25.00 per sq. mtr. for the acquired lands for the purposes of construction of office building and schools for acquiring authority - respondent no.3.

(3.) The References were heard and adjudicated upon by the learned Assistant Judge, Mehsana and in a common judgment dated 31/7/1981 in 7 Reference Cases awarded Rs.10.00 per sq. mtr. Thus, Reference Court awarded additional amount to the claimants in L.A.R. Nos. 16 of 1979 to 22 of 1979 which are under challenge in this group of six appeals at the instance of the original claimants.