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PETITIONER: THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, KARNATAKA HOUSING BOAR

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: P.M. MALLAPPA & ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT:       14/03/1997

BENCH: K. RAMASWAMY, G.T. NANAVATI

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                          O R D E R      Notice on  other respondents  has been served. They are not appearing  either in  person or  through counsel.  Delay condoned. S.R.  Bhatt appears  for  one  respondent  in  one appeal.      Leave granted      These  appeals,   by  special  leave,  arise  from  the judgment of  the Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court, dated December  22, 1995  made in  M.F.A. Nos.  2688/88  and batch.      Notification under section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act (for  Short, the ’Act’) acquiring a large extent of land was published  on  March  25,  1971.  The  Land  acquisition Officer in ....... award granted compensation at the rate of Rs. 8,000/- per acre for the dry lands with which we are not concerned. We  are not  concerned with  other  land  because there is  no appeal  in the  behalf.  On  reference    under section  18  of  the  Act,  the  Civil  Court  enhanced  the compensation to  Rs.  15,000/-  per  acre.  The  High  Court remitted   the   matter   to   the   reference   Court   for reconsideration. Thereafter,  the reference  Court  enhanced the compensation  to Rs. 38,000/-. On appeal, the High Court by the  impugned judgment  has enhanced  the compensation to Rs. 12/- per sq. yd. which amounts to Rs. 58.000/- per acre. It is  seen the  since the  respondents have  not filed  any appeal under  Section  26  of  the  Act  against  the  award granting enhanced  compensation of Rs. 38,000/- per acre, we do not  propose to  go into  the enhancement  granted by the reference Court.      The only  question is:  whether the High Court would be justified in  enhancing the compensation to Rs. 12/- per sq. yd., in  other words, Rs. 58,000/- per acre. Admittedly, the land is  dry land  and  the  land  Acquisition  Officer  had pointed out  in his award that the converted lands for which he had  awarded compensation  at the rate of Rs. 9,000/- and Rs. 10,000/-  per acre,  bear different  connotation to  the actual dry  land existing  as on  that date.  The  potential value shall  be determined  for the  land existing as on the date of  the notification and not after subsequent developed land bears no relevance to further enhancement of the value.

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Under  these   circumstances,  the  High  Court  has  wholly incorrect in  enhancing the compensation to Rs. 12/- per sq. yd., i.e. Rs. 58,000/- per acre.      The appeals  are accordingly  allowed and  the judgment and order  of the High Court stand set aside and that of the reference Court stands confirmed. No. Costs.