Karnataka High Court
Karnataka Neeravari Nigama Limited By ... vs The Special Land Acquisition Officer on 1 October, 2024
Author: Krishna S.Dixit
Bench: Krishna S.Dixit
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NC: 2024:KHC-D:14693-DB
MFA No. 101913 of 2024
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA,
DHARWAD BENCH
DATED THIS THE 1ST DAY OF OCTOBER, 2024
PRESENT
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE KRISHNA S.DIXIT
AND
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIJAYKUMAR A.PATIL
MISCELLANEOUS FIRST APPEAL NO. 101913 OF 2024 (LAC-)
BETWEEN:
KARNATAKA NEERAVARI NIGAMA LIMITED
BY ITS EXECUTIVE ENGINEER,
KNNL, ATHANI-591304.
TAL. ATHANI, DIST. BELAGAVI.
...APPELLANT
(BY SRI. CHETAN MUNNOLI, ADVOCATE)
AND:
1. THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER
HIPPARAGI PROJECT,
ATHANI-591304 TAL. ATHANI
DIST. BELAGAVI.
2. SIKANDAR ANNUSAB SAYYED
AGE. 48 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
VISHAL R/O KANNOLLI-587314
NINGAPPA
PATTIHAL TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
Digitally signed
by VISHAL
NINGAPPA
3. NINGAPPA BASAPPA AINAPUR
PATTIHAL
Location: High
Court of
Karnataka,
AGE. 51 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
Dharwad Bench
Date: 2024.10.01
15:45:32 +0530 R/O KANNOLLI-587314
TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
4. GULAPPA PARAPPA AINAPUR
AGE. 56 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
R/O KANNOLLI-587314
TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
5. NAGAPPA PARAPPA AINAPUR
AGE. 51 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
R/O KANNOLLI-587314
TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
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NC: 2024:KHC-D:14693-DB
MFA No. 101913 of 2024
6. SADASHIV BASAPPA AINAPUR
AGE. 48 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
R/O KANNOLLI-587314
TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
7. SIDDAPPA BASAPPA AINAPUR
AGE. 54 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
R/O KANNOLLI-587314
TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
8. MUTTAPPA BASAPPA AINAPUR
AGE. 54 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
R/O KANNOLLI-587314
TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
9. MAHADEV MADIVALAPPA AINAPUR
AGE. 46 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
R/O KANNOLLI-587314
TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
10. KALLAPPA MADIVALAPPA AINAPUR
AGE.48 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
R/O KANNOLLI-587314
TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
11. MALLAPPA MADIVALAPPA AINAPUR
AGE. 51 YEARS, OCC. AGRICULTURE,
R/O KANNOLLI-587314
TAL. JAMKHANDI, DIST. BAGALKOT.
12. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA
R/BY DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, BELAGAVI-590001.
...RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI. GANGADHAR J.M., AAG FOR
SRI. V.S. KALASURMATH, HCGP FOR RESPONDENT STATE)
THIS MFA IS FILED U/SEC.74(1) OF RIGHT TO FAIR
COMPENSATION AND TRANSPARENCY IN LAND ACQUISITION,
REHABILITATION AND RESETTLEMENT ACT, 2013, PRAYING TO,
ALLOW THE APPEAL AND SET ASIDE THE JUDGMENT AND AWARD
PASSED BY THE I ADDITIONAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE
BAGALKOT TO SIT AT JAMKHANDI AND THE LAND ACQUISITION,
REHABILITATION AND RESETTLEMENT AUTHORITY, JAMKHANDI
PASSED IN LAC NO.193/2018 DATED 03.10.2023 & ETC.,
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NC: 2024:KHC-D:14693-DB
MFA No. 101913 of 2024
THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, THE
COURT DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
CORAM: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE KRISHNA S.DIXIT
AND
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIJAYKUMAR A.PATIL
ORAL JUDGMENT
(PER: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIJAYKUMAR A.PATIL) This appeal is filed under Section 74(1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 for laying a challenge to the Judgment & Award dated 03.10.2023 entered by the Reference Court in land losers LAC No.193/2018 whereby a huge enhancement of compensation has been accorded. Apparently, appeal is filed beyond the prescribed period of 60 + 60 = 120 days. There is an admitted delay of 79 days in filing the appeal and an application seeking its condonation accompanies it.
2. Section 74(1) along with the Proviso thereto (sub-section (2) not being relevant) of the 2013 Act has the following text:
"74. Appeal to High Court.
(1) The Requiring Body or any person aggrieved by the Award passed by an Authority under section 69 may file an -4- NC: 2024:KHC-D:14693-DB MFA No. 101913 of 2024 appeal to the High Court within sixty days from the date of Award:
Provided that the High Court may, if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal within the said period, allow it to be filed within a further period not exceeding sixty days."
The language of this provision being as clear as Gangetic waters, in our view, does not admit any interpretation. A Coordinate Bench of this Court in THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER AND SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, BENGALURU VS. M/S. S.V. GLOBAL MILL LIMITED, CHENNAI, ILR 2020 Kar 1897, having deeply examined all aspects of the said provision, has held that the same is mandatory and therefore, an application for condonation of delay beyond the statutory limit of sixty days, is impermissible. In our judgment dated 23.09.2024 rendered in M.F.A.No.102543/2022 between THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER VS. SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, we have declined the request for referring this matter for consideration at the hands of a Larger Bench of this Court u/s 7 of the Karnataka High -5- NC: 2024:KHC-D:14693-DB MFA No. 101913 of 2024 Court Act, 1961, having respectfully agreed with the ratio laid down in the said decision.
3. We reiterate that the limitation for filing appeal of the kind, as prescribed under Section 74(1) of the Act is 60 days; the condonable limit of delay as specified in the Proviso to sub-section (1) of this section is 60 days, as a maxima. Thus, in all, 120 days do avail for preferring the appeal, and after the expiry of this period, application for condonation of delay cannot be entertained. As a consequence, the appeal filed beyond 120 days also cannot be entertained. Concomitant of this is: the award passed by the Reference Court under the provisions of 2013 Act would become final once for all, consistent with the Parliamentary Policy enacted in the subject Proviso to sub-section (1) of section 74. Therefore, the application seeking condonation of delay which is admittedly beyond 60 days, regardless of arguably plausible explanation offered therefor, cannot be considered. -6-
NC: 2024:KHC-D:14693-DB MFA No. 101913 of 2024 In the above circumstances, the application seeking condonation of delay is rejected, as not being maintainable and as a consequence, the appeal is also rejected, costs having been made easy.
In view of dismissal of this appeal, the Registry to transmit the amount in deposit to the Reference Court immediately for being released in favour of claimants in accordance with law.
Sd/-
(KRISHNA S.DIXIT) JUDGE Sd/-
(VIJAYKUMAR A.PATIL) JUDGE VNP LIST NO.: 2 SL NO.: 22