JUDGMENT :

Dharam Chand Chaudhary, J.

This judgment shall dispose of present appeal and its connected matters as aforesaid having arisen from the common award dated 31.5.2008 whereby learned District Judge, Bilaspur has dismissed the references under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act preferred by the appellants herein.

2. The appellants (hereinafter referred to as the petitioners-claimants) are resident of two different villages namely Devla Chamb and Nehar. Their land was acquired for the public purpose namely construction of Kol Dam Hydro Electric Project. The Notification under Section 4 of the Act to acquire the land of the petitioners-claimants measuring 422-05 bighas situate in both the villages was issued on 16.10.2000. The same was published in the issue of Hindi daily 'Divya Himachal' and English daily =Indian Express' on 20.10.2000, whereas in the gazette on 18.10.2000. The Land Acquisition Collector (Kol Dam), the 1st respondent on observation of the entire procedure prescribed under the Act has announced award No. 3/2002 pertaining to this acquisition. The Collector taking into consideration that in both villages no instance of sale of land had taken place preceding o