SHAIK KAREEMUNNISA BEGUM Vs. GOVERNMENT OF A P

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Both these writ petitions raise common questions of law and therefore, they are being heard and disposed of together.

(2.) Certain lands were acquired for the purpose of establishment of respondent No. 5-thermal station. A consent award was passed on 31.12.2007 covering the extent of Acs.7.30 cents. Compensation in respect of Acs.5.90 cents was distributed to five persons, who are identified as land-owners. The compensation for the balance extent of Acs.1.40 cents was ordered to be deposited in civil Court, as no one came forward to claim the said amount. Accordingly, in pursuance of the said decision taken, compensation was deposited in the Court of the learned Principal Senior Civil Judge, Nellore on 07.01.2009 through D.D. No. 136260, dated 03.01.2009.

(3.) The plea of the petitioners in these writ petitions is that their names were not notified for acquisition even though they are the owners of the properties of Acs.1.00 in W.P. No. 13523 of 2011 and Ac.0.66 cents in W.P. No. 13563 of 2011, and that therefore, they were not aware of the award enquiry and consequently, they could not make claims before the Land Acquisition Officer. They felt aggrieved by the deposit of the compensation by the Land Acquisition Officer in respect of Acs. 1.40 cents of land before the civil Court in purported exercise of power under Section 31(2) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short 'the Act').