Judgment

WANCHOO, J.: The short question raised in this appeal by special leave is whether it is possible to add up the value of more than one rural building, each of which is less than Rs. 10,000/or Rs. 20,000/- in order to reach the total of Rs. 10,000/- or Rs. 20,000/- for the purpose of taking the case for compensation for rural buildings out of the ambit of R. 65 of the Rules framed under the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, No. 44 of 1954 (hereinafter referred to as the Act). The brief facts necessary for this purpose are these. The respondent is a displaced person who migrated from what is now part of West Pakistan to India. It appears that he had agricultural land as well as houses in the rural area in the place from where he migrated. He was allowed 2 1/2 acres of land in the Punjab in lieu of the agricultural land left by him in what is now Pakistan. In addition he also left behind a house and a shop. He claimed Rs. 12,000/- for the house and Rs. 8,000/- for the shop as compensation. The Additional Settlement Commissioner allowed his claim, to the extent of Rs.6,675/- for the house and Rs. 6,120/- for the shop, the total thus coming to Rs. 12,796/-.