DHIRAJBHAI MAGANBHAI SURANI Vs. SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) SINCE in all these petitions, common grievance is made, we have heard the matters for final disposal and decided by this common judgment.

(2.) FACTS in nutshell averred in the petition are that notification in respect of the lands of the petitioners under Section 4 and declaration under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 ('the Act') were issued on 10.5.2001 and 29.6.2001 respectively. Thereafter, award under Section 11 of the Act was passed on 26.4.2002. It is the case of the petitioners that on 6.6.2002, they filed applications under Section 18 of the Act seeking reference to the District Court. However, for long time, since nothing was heard from the respondent authorities, the petitioners made applications under the Right to Information Act to the respondent No.1 - Land Acquisition Officer who replied that their references were made to the District Court. They thereafter made inquiry with the registry of the Court under the Right to Information Act, wherefrom they are informed that there was no entry as regards their references in the register of the Court. The petitioners have also referred the communications between the registry of the Reference Court and the Land Acquisition Officer to point out that the registry of the Court intimated to the Land Acquisition Officer that no references of the petitioners were on register. It is under these circumstances, the petitioners have filed present petitions seeking direction to the respondent authorities for effective and necessary steps for registration of their references and hearing of the same.

(3.) WE have heard learned advocates for the parties.