ORDER

1. This appeal is againsl the judgment of the High Court dated 7-5-1997. 2. Briefly stated, the facts are as follows:

Section 4 notification was issued on 11-11-1977 for the purposes of acquiring 6640 sq metres land in Panaji. The land was being acquired for the purpose of establishing a museum. It is an admitted position that out of 6640 sq metres land 1125 sq metres land were paddy land, 2240 sq metres were salt pans and 3320 sq metres were a nallah, An award came to be passed by the Land Acquisition Officer on 21-3-1978. He fixed a price atRs 11 per sq metre for paddy land, Rs 10 per sq metre for salt pan and Rs 6 per sq metre for nallah. The Land Acquisition Officer also apportioned the compensation on the basis that 1/3 of the compensation, for paddy land, was to be given to the appellants (herein) and the rest was to be given to the tenant; for the salt pan 4/5 to the appellants and 1/5 to the tenant and for the nallah the entire compensation was given to the appellants.

3. The appellants filed a reference which was disposed of by a judgment dated 27-2-1990. Before the Reference Court the appellants led the evidence of two witnesses AWl and A W 2. AW l was the power-of-