JUDGMENT

Bhan, J.-Leave granted in the special leave petitions.

2. This order shall dispose of CA No. 12515 of 1996, CA Nos. 13370-13371/1996 and CA No. 2238-42 of 2002 (@ SLP. (C) Nos. 21304-21308 of 1996) as common question of law and facts are involved in these appeals. The facts of Civil Appeal Nos. 1552-1554 of 2000 being different would be referred to in the later part of this judgment.

3. For the disposal of Civil Appeal Nos. 12515 of 1996, Civil Appeal Nos. 13370-71 of 1996 and CA No. 2238-2242 of 2002 (@ SLP (C) Nos. 21304-21308 of 1996, the facts are referred to from Civil Appeal No. 12515 of 1996.

4. The brief facts are as follows:

The State of Karnataka issued a notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (hereinafter referred to as the Act ) seeking to acquire the plots belonging to the claimants of Village Murnal for a public purpose, namely, Bagalkot new township. The notification was published in the Karnataka Gazette on 19th July, 1985. The declaration under Section 6 was published in the Karnataka Gazette on 14th August, 1987. The Special Land Acquisition Officer, BTDA, Bagalkot passed the award on 3rd June, 1988. He fixed the market value of