UNION OF INDIA Vs. PRADEEP KUMARI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) In Civil Writ Petition No. 181 of 1989, the petitioners Union of India and Beas Construction Board have, by filing this writ petition, prayed for quashing Annexure P -13 an award made on March 14,1988, by the Collector, Land Acquisition, Beas Dam Project, Respondent No.

(2.) The construction of the Beas Dam Project was commenced in the year 1960 as a joint venture of the erstwhile State of Punjab and the State of Rajasthan by mutual agreement between the two States. All decisions on the policy and administrative matters were taken by a Board known as the Beas Control Board which was set up by the Central Government in consultation with the two States on February 19, 1961. The Beas Project Board was presided over by the Governor of the then State of Punjab and its members included Ministers of the State of Punjab and Rajasthan and senior officers of the Central Government and of the two States The decisions of the Beas Construction Board used to be implemented by the Punjab Government which was administering and executing the works on the Project. The expenditure on the Project was shared by the Rajasthan Government.

(3.) With the coming into force of the Punjab Re -organisation Act, 1966 (Act 31 of 1966), the new State of Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh came into being, having been formed out of the territory of the erstwhile State of Punjab. A part pf the Punjab territory was also transferred to what was then the Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh. What remained with Punjab became the new State of Punjab.