JUDGMENT :

HARKESH MANUJA, J.

[1]. By way of present appeal, challenge has been laid to the Award dated 28.02.1996 passed by the learned Addl. District Judge, Kurukshetra (hereinafter to be referred as the ‘Reference Court’).

[2]. Briefly stating, in the present case, land measuring 58 Kanals 19 Marlas, situated within the revenue estate of village Bir Pipli, Hadbast No.359, Tehsil Thanesar, District Kurukshetra, came to be acquired vide Notifications dated 22.01.1992 and 31.07.1992 issued under Sections 4 & 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short the ‘1894 Act’) respectively for the public purpose namely for construction of 132 K.V. Sub Station, Pipli of the Haryana State Electricity Board. An Award under Section 11 of the 1894 Act was passed by the Land Acquisition Collector (for short ‘the LAC’) on 31.03.1994, thereby determining the market value of the acquired land @ Rs.5,00,000/- per acre along with other statutory benefits/interest payable under the 1894 Act.

[3]. Dis-satisfied with the Award passed by the Land Acquisition Collector, the appellants-landowners invoked Reference under Section 18 of the 1894 Act, which came to be dismissed by the learned Reference Court vide