Maharashtra Industrial Devp. ... vs Vitthal Kisan Gadbail And 2 ...

Citation : 2017 Latest Caselaw 9201 Bom
Judgement Date : 30 November, 2017

Bombay High Court
Maharashtra Industrial Devp. ... vs Vitthal Kisan Gadbail And 2 ... on 30 November, 2017
Bench: S.B. Shukre
        J-fa77.07 &747.06.odt                                                                                            1/6


                    IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                          NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR


                                      FIRST APPEAL No.77 OF 2008
                                                 AND
                                     FIRST APPEAL No.747 OF 2006
                                            =========

                                      FIRST APPEAL No.77 OF 2008


        1.    Vithal Kisan Gadbail,
               Aged 61 years.

        2.    Bhimrao Kisan Gadbail,
               Aged 55 years, 
               Both by Occ. Cultivator.

               Both R/o. RUI, Post RUI, Tah. Nagpur,
               Distt. Nagpur.                                                      :      APPELLANTS

                          ...VERSUS...

        1.    Collector, Nagpur, Special Land
               Acquisition Officer, General, Nagpur.

        2.    Maharashtra Industrial Development
               Corporation, Through Regional Officer,
               Civil Lines, Nagpur.                                                 :      RESPONDENTS


        =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
        Shri Anand Parchure, Advocate for the Appellants.
        Shri M.A. Kadu, Asstt. Government Pleader for Respondent No.1.
        Shri M.M. Agnihotri, Advocate for the Respondent No.2.
        =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


                                                              AND

                                     FIRST APPEAL No.747 OF 2006

        Maharashtra Industrial Development
        Corporation, having its office at Marol
        Industrial Estate, Andheri East,




::: Uploaded on - 04/12/2017                                             ::: Downloaded on - 05/12/2017 01:13:13 :::
         J-fa77.07 &747.06.odt                                                                                            2/6


        Mumbai and having its Regional
        At Udyog Bhavan, Civil Lines, Nagpur,
        Through its Chief Executive Officer.                                       :      APPELLANT

                          ...VERSUS...

        1.    Vithal Kisan Gadbail,
               Aged 61 years,
               Occupation : Agricultural.

        2.    Bhimrao Kisan Gadbail,
               Aged 55 years, 
               Occupation : Agriculturist.

               Both 1 and 2 Resident of Rui at Post- Rui, 
               Tah. Nagpur, Distt. Nagpur.

        3.    Collector, Nagpur,
               (Special Land Acquisition Officer, General) 
                Nagpur.                                     :      RESPONDENTS


        =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
        Shri Anand Parchure, Advocate for the Appellants.
        Shri M.A. Kadu, Asstt. Government Pleader for Respondent No.1.
        Shri M.M. Agnihotri, Advocate for the Respondent No.2.
        =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


                                                     CORAM  :   S.B. SHUKRE, J.

th DATE : 30 NOVEMBER, 2017.

ORAL JUDGMENT :

1. Both these appeals are being disposed of by this common judgment as they arise out of the same judgment and order dated 29 th April, 2006, rendered in Land Acquisition Case No.398/1993 by 2 nd Joint Civil Judge, Senior Division, Nagpur.

2. The land of the claimants bearing Survey No.112, ::: Uploaded on - 04/12/2017 ::: Downloaded on - 05/12/2017 01:13:13 ::: J-fa77.07 &747.06.odt 3/6 admeasuring 1.86 HR, situated at village Rengapar, tahsil and district Nagpur was acquired for the purpose of development of industrial area by respondent No.2, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (hereinafter referred to as, "MIDC") by the State-respondent No.1. Notification under Section 32(1) of the MIDC Act was published in Government Gazette on 22.2.1990.

3. The Reference Court, while deciding reference application considered two sale instances vide Exhs.-59 and 72, as comparable and accordingly fixed the market value of the acquired land to be at Rs.1,25,000/- per hectare. The Reference Court, however, did not grant the claim for enhancing the compensation granted by the then Land Acquisition Officer for Well and trees. The impugned judgment and order was passed on 29.4.2006.

4. In the First Appeal being First Appeal No.74/2006, decided on 29th November, 2017, this Court took the view for the land acquired therein for the purpose of same project and covered by the same notification as in the present case, the market value of the land could not be more than Rs.90,000/- per hectare. In that case, such finding was recorded by this Court by considering the same sale instances, vide Exhs.- 59 and 72, as has been considered in the present case by the Reference Court. But, the result of such consideration given by this Court was that while the sale instance vide Exh.-59 was not found to be of a comparable land, the other sale instance vide Exh.-72 was found to be so and ::: Uploaded on - 04/12/2017 ::: Downloaded on - 05/12/2017 01:13:13 ::: J-fa77.07 &747.06.odt 4/6 therefore, reliance on the price of the land reflected by that sale deed was placed by this Court. That sale deed reflected the price of the land to be at Rs.90,000/- per hectare and so, same price was given to the land which was situated about half a kilometer away from that land but with better quality of soil. In the process, this Court also observed that for the factor of better quality of soil some additional compensation deserved to be granted. But, as the land involved in that appeal was situated about half a kilometer away from the comparable sale instance of Exh.-72, this Court thought that the distance between the two lands would offset the price difference between them arising from the quality of the land of those two lands. This Court also observed that had the land in that appeal been situated adjacent to the land of sale instance vide Exh.-72, this Court would have given 10% more to the land owner.

5. In the present case, as stated earlier, the sale instance vide Exh.-72 has been resorted to by the Reference Court as a comparable sale instance. The Reference Court has also placed reliance upon another sale instance Exh.-59. But, the evidence available on record would show that Exh.-59 land is not at all comparable to the land involved in the present case rather, the land comparable with acquired land almost in all respect, barring the quality of the soil, is the one involved in the other sale instance vide Exh.-72. Therefore, determination of the market value of this land would have to be done by adopting the same view as has been taken by this Court in First Appeal No.745/2006. Learned counsel for ::: Uploaded on - 04/12/2017 ::: Downloaded on - 05/12/2017 01:13:13 ::: J-fa77.07 &747.06.odt 5/6 the MIDC in these appeals also does not dispute this. Therefore, both these appeals would have to be disposed of on the same lines as has been done by this Court in First Appeal No.745/2006, insofar as the determination of the market value of the acquired land is concerned.

6. As regards the claim for enhancing the compensation granted for the Well and the trees I must say that as regards trees, absolutely no evidence has been adduced by the claimants to enable this Court to make a fresh evaluation of the trees. As such, the compensation granted by the Land Acquisition Officer of Rs.2,198/- for the trees must be confirmed and it is confirmed accordingly. However, this may not be so in case of the compensation granted by the Land Acquisition Officer for the Well, which is of Rs.2,241/-. Something more would have to be granted to the claimants for the reason that the evidence of the claimants shows that there was a Well in existence and it was of a medium size. Admittedly, its diameter was of 17 to 18 feet and that its' depth was of 25 ft. Even if it is assumed that this Well was not in pakka construction, still the cost of digging such a Well, in the year 1990 would not be as low as Rs.2,000/-. Therefore, by approximation, its assessment would have to be made and doing so I find that an amount of Rs.10,000/- can be taken as the just and reasonable cost of construction of the Well in the year 1990.

7. In the result, both the appeals deserve to be partly allowed by determining the market value of the acquired land to be at Rs.1,00,000/- per hectare (Rs.90,000/- + Rs.9,000/-, rounded off to Rs.1,00,000/- per ::: Uploaded on - 04/12/2017 ::: Downloaded on - 05/12/2017 01:13:13 ::: J-fa77.07 &747.06.odt 6/6 hectare) and additional compensation for the Well at the rate of Rs.10,000/-.

8. Both the appeals are allowed partly.

9. It is declared that the claimants are entitled to receive compensation for their acquired land at the rate of Rs.1,00,000/- per hectare and are also entitled to receive compensation of Rs.10,000/- as cost of construction of Well, which is inclusive of amount of Rs.2,241/- granted by the Land Acquisition Officer.

10. Such enhanced compensation shall be payable to the claimants together with same statutory benefits at the same rates as are granted by the Reference Court.

11. The impugned judgment and order stand modified in the above terms.

12. Appeals are disposed of accordingly.

13. The M.I.D.C. is permitted to withdraw the amount which is found to be in excess of the amount determined as compensation under this order and which is lying in deposit with this Court, provided a joint Pursis in this regard is filed on record by the M.I.D.C and the claimants.

JUDGE okMksns ::: Uploaded on - 04/12/2017 ::: Downloaded on - 05/12/2017 01:13:13 :::