SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER Vs. MOTIBHAI NAGJIBHAI PATEL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In this group of 25 appeals, at the instance of the State of Gujarat, invoking the aids of the provisions of section 54 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (Act, for short), the challenge is against the common judgment and awards of the reference Court, dated 10.1.2000, whereby, an additional amount of Rs.500 per Are in case of irrigated lands, came to be awarded and, since in this group of matters, the lands acquired were irrigated lands, the market price came to be fixed at Rs.8 per sq. mtr.

(2.) In all, there were about 33 cases before the reference Court, out of which 25 matters are brought into this group of appeals, at the instance of the State of Gujarat, under section 54 of the Act and since, common questions are involved, arising out of common judgment and, also, the same notification issued for the same purpose, therefore, upon joint request, they are being taken up, simultaneously, for adjudication, by this common judgment.

(3.) Pursuant to the notification under section 4(1) of the Act dated 28.2.91, followed by notification dated 3.10.91 under section 6(1), agricultural lands of the claimants situated at village Kambola, Taluka:Karjan, Dist: Vadodara, came to be acquired and after observing further statutory requirements, the Land Acquisition Officer by his award dated 2.9.92 fixed the market price by way of compensation at the rate of Rs.3 per sq. mtr. (Rs.300 per Are). The original claimants requested for reference under section 18(1) of the Act, being dissatisfied by the amount awarded by the Land Acquisition Officer. The District Court, Vadodara, in a group of 33 land references, being LRC No.646 to 678 of 1993, consolidated the references and common evidence was led. The reference Court has, also, rendered a common judgment and award dated 10.1.2000 after considering the material facts, relevant evidence and appropriate propositions of law, under which each respondent in this group of appeals, being original claimants and the owners of the land, is found entitled to an amount of Rs.8 per sq. mtr. by way of compensation, over and above the statutory benefits, which is directly brought into challenge in this group of 25 appeals under section 54 of the Act.