B. P. JEEVAN REDDY, CJ.

( 1 ) A common question arises in this bunch of writ petitions. It is whether the company or the authority for whose benefit a land is being acquired by the Government is entitled to apply for impleading itself in a reference under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act and whether it can be so impleaded by the civil court.

( 2 ) AT the instance of the writ petitioner, the Gorakhpur Development Authority, Gorakhpur, the Government notified certain lands in village Rampur and other villages under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act. Proceedings were accordingly taken and award passed. Possession of the land was also taken and delivered to the Authority. Not satisfied with the compensation awarded by the Land Acquisition Officer, the owners of the land applied for making a reference to the civil court under Section 18 of the Act, which was done. One of such reference is L. A. Reference No. 67/87 (concerned in C. M. W. P. No. 22107 of 1987 ). In this reference, the Gorakhpur Development Authority applied for impleading itself as a party respondent. Its case was that since the land is being acquired for its purpose and also because whatever compensation is pay

Click Here to Read the rest of this document