IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
OM PRAKASH, M. H. KANIA
MANORAMA DEVI - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH - Respondents
C. M. W. P. 11374 Of 1989
Decided On : 03/25/1994
LAND ACQUISITION - URGENCY - DISPENSING WITH INQUIRY UNDER SECTION 5A OF THE LAND ACQUISITION ACT, 1894 - NOTIFICATION UNDER SECTION 4 AND DECLARATION UNDER SECTION 6 OF THE ACT - VALIDITY - CHALLENGED - HELD, URGENCY WAS ESTABLISHED AND THE STATE WAS JUSTIFIED IN DISPENSING WITH THE INQUIRY UNDER SECTION 5A.
Fact of the Case:
The Krishi Utpadan Mandi Samiti (Samiti) had been struggling hard right from 1984 for having a new sub-market at Kandhla, district Muzaffarnagar, no more a town in oblivion, situated in the agricultural belt of the western Uttar Pradesh known for agricultural productivity, that success has eluded it all these years on account of prolonged and uncertain course of legal battle.
Finding of the Court:
The Court held that the State was justified in dispensing with the inquiry under Section 5a of the Act, as there was urgency for the acquisition of the land for the construction of a new market yard of the Samiti, which was for the benefit of the entire community of the farmers of the area concerned.
Issues: Whether the State was justified in dispensing with the inquiry under Section 5a of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
Ratio Decidendi: The Court held that the existence of urgency is a matter of subjective satisfaction of the appropriate government and it is not open to the Courts to peep into the propriety or correctness of the satisfaction on an objective consideration of facts. The opinion of the government can only be challenged in a Court of law if it can be shown that the government never applied its mind to the matter or that the action of the government is mala fide.
Final Decision: The Court dismissed both the writ petitions, holding that the petitioners had failed to establish that the second set of notifications was vitiated on the ground of mala fide and non-application of mind.
( 1 ) THESE writ petitions revolving around one and the same controversy viz. challenging the validity of the two sets of notifications published one after another under Sections 4 and 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short the Act) in respect of the same land, amply demonstrate that tenure-holders of land sought to be acquired under the Act, for howsoever laudable and urgent purpose, zealously guard their right to land, no more constitutional but legal only, leaving no stone unturned in thwarting the acquisition proceedings and thereby giving rise to hundred per cent litigation. It is for the legislature to devise such a method with the legal framework for making acquisition-lesser painful and disadvantageous as to please the tenure-holders to readily part with their land for the purposes, conducive to the growth and development of the nation without creating legal hurdles. The Krishi Utpadan Mandi Samiti (Samiti for brevity sake) has been struggling hard right from 1984 for having a neet sub-market at Kandhla, district Musaffarnagar, no more a town in oblivion, situated in the agricultural belt of the western Uttar Pradesh known for agricultural productivity, that success has eluded it all these years on account of prolonged and uncertain course of legal battle.
( 2 ) THE facts as succinctly stated are that petitioners are tenure-holders of plot No. 1133, the total area of which is 15 bighas, 2 biswas and 5 biswansi, of this are admeasuring 14 bighas, 14 biswas and 16 biswansi was sought to be acquired by respondent No. 1 for construction of a new sub-market yard of the Samiti (respondent No. 4) and for that purpose a notification was published by the Government in the Gazette on 15-3-1989 for general information stating that under sub-section (1) of Section 4 of the Act the aforesaid land is needed for a public purpose, namely, for the construction of a new sub-market yard of the Samiti under a planned development scheme. The notification further states that the provisions of sub-section (1) of Section 17 of the Act are applicable to the said land, inasmuch as the said land is urgently required for the construction of a new sub-market yard of the Samiti under a planned development scheme. The notification further states that the provisions of sub-section (1) of Section 17 of the Act are applicable to the said land, inasmuch as the said land is urgently required for the construction of a new sub-market yard of the Samiti under a planned development scheme and in view of the pressing urgency, it is well necessary to eliminate the delay, likely to be caused by an inquiry under Section 5a of the Act. This is how the Government further directed under sub-section (4) of Section 17 of the Act that the provisions of Section 5a of the Act shall not apply. Later, a declaration under Section 6 of the Act was published on 30-11-1989. It is not disputed that the notifications published under Section 4 on 15-3-1989 and declaration published under Section 6 on 30-11-1989, both were rescinded by the Government and a notification under Section 4 and a declaration under Section 6 of the Act were published afresh on 19-8-1991 and 18-8-1992 respectively. This fact is fully borne out from the notification dated 19-8-1991, published under Section 4 (Annexure-1 to, the second writ petition), which states that the Governor is pleased to rescind the government notifications dated 15-3-1989 and 30-11-1989. In paragraph 16 of the counter affidavit, filed on behalf of the State in the second writ petition, it is stated that the earlier notification was defective and, therefore, second notification dated 19-8-1991 was published under Section 4. In paragraph 20 of the second writ petition, it is admitted that the previous notifications dated 15-3-1989 and 30-11-1989, published under Sections 4 and 6 of the Act "suffered from serious errors and have been rescinded by means of notification dated 19-8-1991. . . . . . . ". Respondent
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