JUDGMENT

A. K. Patnaik, J.

These are the appeals by way of special leave against the judgment and order dated 13.07.2005 of the Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh, in Letters Patent Appeals determining the market value of acquired land @ Rs.120/- per square yard (for short ‘the impugned judgment’).

2. The facts relevant for deciding these appeals briefly are that the National Fertilizers Limited (for short ‘the NFL’) is a Government of India Undertaking engaged in the business of manufacturing fertilizers and has a plant in Bhatinda in the State of Punjab. To meet the requirement of dwelling houses for the employees of NFL, the State of Punjab acquired 29.68 acres of land in village Bhatinda by notification dated 24.01.1983 issued under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short ‘the Act’). The District Collector sent the market rates to the Land Acquisition Collector for different classes of agricultural or revenue land and these were for Nehri - Rs.56,000/- per acre, for Barani - Rs. 23,000/- per acre and for Gair Mumkin - Rs.23,000/- per acre. The Land Acquisition Collector determined the compensation at 50% above the rates sent by the Di