LAND ACQUISITION COLLECTOR Vs. JANKI DASS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS judgment will dispose of Miscellaneous First Appeals Nos. 15 to 17, 19 and 20 and 22 to 26 of 1966. These appeals have been filed, by the Land Acquisition Collector, Mahasu, against the orders of the learned District Judge, Mahasu, passed in references, under S. 18 of the Land Acquisition Act, (hereinafter referred to as the Act), made at the instance of various respondents, in the appeals. Though, the facts, in the appeals, are slightly different, yet the questions raised were one and the same and it will be convenient to dispose of all the appeals, by one judgment.

(2.) LANDS , situated in Rohru town, were acquired, under the Act for public purposes. The Collector awarded compensation with respect to the acquisition of the lands. The respondents, in the present appeals, who were interested, as proprietors or tenants, in the lands, did not accept the awards of the Collector. They filed applications, containing objections against the awards. The main objection was that the Collector had assessed the market value of the lands at a low rate.

(3.) THE references were contested, on behalf of the Collector. It was denied that the market value of the lands, assessed by the Collector, was low. It was pleaded that the ap Elications for making references, were barred y time and the references were not competent.