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1995 Supreme(SC) 754

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
K. RAMASWAMY AND K.S. PARIPOORNAN, JJ.
State of Orissa, Appellant
Versus
Brij Lal Misra etc., Respondents.
Civil Appeal Nos. 704-706 of 1980,
D/- 26-7-1995.

Advocates:
B.D.SHARMA, R.K.MEHTA

Headnote:

Land Acquisition Act - Section 4 - Construction of over-bridge - Amount of compensation - Land was published in acquiring acre in Survey respectively for construction of over-bridge near - Rourkela Road - Land Acquisition Officer determined compensation under Section of the Act between acre per acre - On reference Subordinate Judge by award and decree while determining compensation at rate per decimal on basis of comparable sales which ranged between decimal further enhanced compensation for future potential value which was upheld by High Court by its impugned judgment – Held, Section of Act puts an embargo on Court that it shall not take into consideration degree of urgency for acquisition disinclination of person interested to part with possession of acquired land any increase in value of land acquired likely to accrue from use to which it will be put when acquired any increase to value of other land of person interested likely to accrue from use to which land acquired will be put to any layout or improvements on or disposal of land acquired etc - Without sanction of Collector or after Section notification was published special suitability or adaptability of land for any purpose or any increase in value of land on account of its being put to any use which is forbidden of law are opposed to public policy - Therefore in determining market value and fixation of compensation Court should be alive to these factors and keep them at the back of mind and should not be influenced by the future or later development in locality or neighborhood and should not get influenced by prevailing situation as on date of determination of compensation - Appeal allowed

JUDGMENTS :- These three appeals are disposed of by a common judgment since the questions of law raised are common.

2. A notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act (for short, `the Act) was published in 1968 acquiring 0.62 acre, 0.82 acre and 0.15 acre in Survey No.704, 705 and 706/80 respectively for construction of over-bridge, near Vedavyas in Rajganjpur - Rourkela Road. The Land Acquisition Officer determined the compensation under Section 11 of the Act between Rs.1,360/- per acre to Rs.2912/- per acre. On reference, the Subordinate Judge, by award and decree dated January 19, 1970, while determining the compensation at the rate of Rs.200/- per decimal, on the basis of comparable sales which ranged between Rs.100/- to Rs.115/- per decimal, further enhanced 25% of the compensation for future potential value which was upheld by the High Court by its impugned judgment dated August 16, 1978. The only question, rightly canvassed by Shri Mehta, learned counsel for the appellant is whether the Courts having determined the compensation take the potential value. Whether would be right to further enhance compensation at 25% more for future potentiality. The High Court placed reliance on two judgments of that Court reported in Musmat Kunduna Bibi alias Khatun Bibi v. State of Orissa, (1968) 34 Cut LT 1043 and in State of Orissa through the Land Acquisition Collector, Sundergarh v. Budha Oram etc. (1977) 2 Cut WR 631 : (AIR 1978 Ori 74), and held thus :

"There is immense possibility of commercial development and industrialisation in the locality in the immediate future and, therefore, the direction that potential value be estimated at twenty five per cent for the purposes of compensation is justified and does not call for interference".

3. Section 23(1) of the Act charges determination of the amount of compensation for the acquired land taking into account firstly the market value of the land at the date of the publication of the notification under Section 4(1) of the Act. The question, therefore, would be that what would be the market value of the land. The Market value prevailing on the date of the notification including potentiality the land possessed of or realisable potentiality existing as on the date of the notification, would be the relevant facts for consideration to determine market value. This question was settled by the Privy Council in V.N. Gajapatiraju v. Revenue Divisional Officer, Vishakhapatnam, (AIR 1939 PC 98). The Privy Council held that in determining market value under Section 23, the Court would be guided by ascertaining in a best way from the material on record from willing vendors. It is possibility of the market value of the land and not realised possibility that must be taken into consideration. That judgment is followed in a catena of decisions of this Court and held that in determining the compensation the Court would take into consideration the potentialities of the land existing as on the date of the notification published under Section 4(1). The very concept of the potential value would mean existing in possibility but not in act, i.e., the land is capable to be used in future in the existing condition. Having taken that factor into consideration and determined compensation whether the Court would be justified in further enhancing at 25% for further potentiality ? Our answer is positively no. Section 24, fifthly, of the Act expressly prohibits taking into account such future use declaring such matters to be neglected in determining compensation. The Court shall not take into consideration and increase to the value of the land acquired likely to accrue from the use to which it will be put when acquired; sixthly, any increase to the value of the other land of the person interested likely to accrue from the use to which the land acquired will be put. In other words, the statute expressly enjoins to omit consideration of the future use of the land or potentialities of the neighbouring lands o





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