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2011 Supreme(UK) 473
2011 (2) UAD 834
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
R.V. Raveendran and Markandey Katju
Civil Appeal No. 5938 of 2007
KOLKATA METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY – Appellant
Versus
GOBINDA CHANDRA MAKAL & ANR. – Respondents
WITH Civil Appeal Nos. 1931, 1932, 1933 of 2008 and 6024, 6025 of 2007
STATE OF WEST BENGAL – Appellant
Versus
GOBINDA CHANDRA MAKAL & ANR. – Respondents
Decided on : 02.09.2011
Headnote:(A) Land Acquisition Act, 1894, Sec. 23(1) — Compensation for acquired land — Determination — Benefit of appreciation in market value — No addition should be made towards appreciation in market value — Unless there is special evidence to show some specific increase within a short period. (Para 13)
(B) Land Acquisition Act, 1894, Sec. 23(1) — Acquisition of land — Compensation — Determination — Advantage of a better frontage where the value of large tracts of undeveloped agricultural land is being determined — With reference to a value of nearby small residential plot — Question of adding any percentage for the advantage of better frontage to the acquired lands not arises. (Para 14)
(C) Land Acquisition Act, 1894, Sec. 23(1) — Compensation — Determination — Advantage of east facing plots or east-south facing plots — When a large tract of land is made into several plots — Most of such plots will cease to be east facing or east south facing — Such addition in value on account of facing a particular direction of plot — Not accepted. (Para 17)
(D) Land Acquisition Act, 1894, Sec. 23(1) — Compensation — Deductions — Percentage comparision of situational advantage, existing development and amenities available to the acquired lands, exemplar sale transactions relating to small plots and other relevant circumstances — Deductions varying from 20% to 75% from the value of small developed plots to consider value of acquired lands made by Supreme Court. (Paras 17 to 19)
(E) Land Acquisition Act, 1894, Sec. 23(1) — Compensation — Determination — Relevant date is date of publication of preliminary notification u/s 4(1) of Act, 1894, as envisaged u/s 23(1) of the L.A. Act. (Paras 20 to 25)
(F) Interpretation of statutes — Same words used in different parts of a statute — Depending upon the context, same words used at different places of a statute may have different meanings. (Para 25)
¼v½ Hkwfe vf/kxzg.k vf/kfu;e] 1894] /kkjk 23¼1½ & vf/kxzghr Hkwfe dk eqvkotk & vkSj ml dk vkadyu & ekdsZV ewY; esa c<+ksÙkjh dk ykHk & ekdsZV ewY; ds c<+us ds vkèkkj ij rc rd dqN Hkh ugha tksM+k tkuk pkfg, tc rd fdlh vYi vof/k esa fdlh fof'k"V c<+ksÙkjh dk lk{; miyC/k u gks tk,A ¼izLrj 13½
¼c½ Hkwfe vf/kxzg.k vf/kfu;e] 1894] /kkjk 23¼1½ & Hkwfe vf/kxzg.k ds eqvkots@izfrdj dh x.kuk & tgk¡ ij vfodflr Ñf"k Hkwfe ds cM+s Hkkx dh dher dh x.kuk dh tkuh gks rks lkeus ds fgLls dk ykHk fn;k tkuk pkfg, ftldk lanHkZ fudV ds vkoklh; Hkw[k.M ds ewY; ls fy;k tkuk pkfg, & vf/kxzghr Hkwfe ds lkeus ds vPNs Hkkx ds fy, ykHk gsrq fdlh izfr'kr ds tksM+s tkus dk iz'u ugha mBrk gSA ¼izLrj 14½
¼l½ Hkwfe vf/kxzg.k vf/kfu;e] 1894] /kkjk 23¼1½ & izfrdj dk vkadyu & iwjc vkSj iwjc nf{k.k fn'kk ds lkeus okys IykV dk ykHk & tc ,d cM+s {ks= dks vusd IykVksa esa dkVk tkrk gS rks cgqr ls IykVksa dh iwjc vkSj iwjc nf{k.k fn'kk lekIr gks tkrh gS & bl izdkj dh ewY; o`f) tks fd fdlh [kkl fn'kk esa gksus ds dkj.k gks Lohdkj ugha dh xbZA ¼izLrj 17½
¼n½ Hkwfe vf/kxzg.k vf/kfu;e] 1894] /kkjk 23¼1½ & izfrdj esa dVkSrh & fLFkfrtU; ykHk dh izfr'krh; rqyuk] vf/kxzghr Hkwfe esa miyC/k lqfo/kk,a vkSj fo|eku fodkl ds vuqlkj NksVs IykVksa ds lEcU/k esa ekWMy fcØh vkSj vU; lqlaxr ifjfLFkfr;ksa esa] NksVs fodflr IykVksa dh dher esa ls 20 izfr'kr ls 75 izfr'kr rd dVkSrh djds] vf/kxzghr Hkwfe dh dher vkadus dk lw= mPpre U;k;ky; }kjk fn;k x;k gSA ¼izLrj 17 ls 19½
¼;½ Hkwfe vf/kxzg.k vf/kfu;e] 1894] /kkjk 23¼1½ & izfrdj dh x.kuk gsrq lqlaxr frfFk izkjafHkd foKfIr ds izdk'ku dh frfFk tks fd /kkjk 4¼1½ vf/kfu;e 1894 tSlk fd (L.A. Act) Hkwfe vf/kxzg.k vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 23¼1½ esa laHkkouk O;Dr dh xbZ gksrh gSA ¼izLrj 20 ls 25½
¼j½ vf/kfu;eksa dh O;k[;k & fdlh vf/kfu;e ds fofHké Hkkxksa esa ,d ls 'kCn iz;ksx fd;s x;s gSa & lanHkZ ij vk/kkfjr fofHké LFkkuksa ij vf/kfu;e esa iz;qDr ,d tSls 'kCnksa dk i`Fkd&i`Fkd vFkZ gksrk gSA ¼izLrj 25½
R.V. Raveendran, J. — These appeals by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (for short KMDA) and the State of West Bengal (‘State’ for short) relate to determination of compensation for acquisition of the following three lands for East Calcutta Area Development Project, falling under Mouza Madurdaha, (JL No. 12), District 24 Parganas (South) within the limits of Kolkata Municipal Corporation:
Dag Area in Cottahs/Chitaks Area in Acres Classification of
(Plot) (1 acre = 60 cottahs) (1 cottah = land No. 16 Chitaks)
62 117 Cottah 1.94 acres Sali (Agricultural)
42 37 Cottahs 0.61 acres Sali (Agricultural)
272 13 Cottahs 5 Chitaks 0.22 acres Beel (Marsh)
2. The said lands belonging to the first respondent along with surrounding lands were requisitioned by the State Government under section 3(1) of the West Bengal Land (Requisition & Acquisition) Act, 1948 [for short WB Requisition Act’] on 27.4.1978. The possession of the land was taken by the Collector in pursuance of such requisition, on 8.5.1978, 16.7.1979 and 16.9.1979. In anticipation of the acquisition, the value of the land was assessed under section 8B of the said Act and 80% of the estimated compensation was paid to the first respondent in or about 1979. On 7.4.1987, the Collector issued a notification under section 4(1a) of the said Act, to acquire the land, but did not make an award under section 7 of the said Act. WB Requisition Act was a temporary Act and remained in force only till 31.3.1997. The Land Acquisition Act 1894 (‘LA Act’ for short) was amended by West Bengal Act 7 of 1997 (with effect from 2.5.1997) inserting sub-sections (3A) and (3B) in section 9 of LA Act whereby it was provided that in regard to lands possession of which had been taken on requisition under the WB Requisition Act, the proceedings initiated under the WB Requisition Act would stand converted to proceedings under LA Act upon issuance of appropriate notice. Such notice was issued on 10.12.1997 and the acquisition proceedings under the WB Requisition Act were converted into acquisition proceedings under the LA Act. But as no award was made within a period of two years, the said acquisition lapsed under section 11A of LA Act. Therefore, fresh acquisition proceedings were initiated by issue of a notification dated 13.9.2000 under section 4(1) of the LA Act (Gazetted on 13.9.2000 and thereafter published in the newspapers and public notice of the substance of notification was notified in the locality on 16.11.2000) followed by a notification dated 27.11.2000 issued under section 6 of the LA Act (gazetted on 28.11.2000).
3. The Collector made an award dated 13.12.2001 determining the market value of the acquired lands as Rs.2386 per cottah for sali land and Rs.1193 per cottah for beel land. For this purpose, the Collector took the average of the value disclosed by the sale of small plots bearing Dag Nos. 417,417 and 455 under deeds dated 15.1.1982,20,1.1982 and 15.2.1982 and by providing appreciation at the rate of 5% per year from 1982 to 2000, arrived at the value of Rs.144,353/- per acre or Rs.2386/- per cottah for sali land and Rs.1193/- per cottah (half of the value of sali
land) as the value of beel land. Feeling aggrieved, the first respondent sought reference to civil court claiming enhancement in regard to the three lands. The three references were registered as LA Nos.47, 77 and 78 of 2003.
4. The first respondent examined an expert valuer T.C.Roy as RCW-1 and examined himself as RCW-2. The report of the expert with its annexures was marked as Ex. 1 and Ex. l/A and the map of Mouza Madurdaha was produced as Ex.2. The first respondent produced and relied upon the following five sale deeds (Ex.7 to 11) to prove the market value:
Date of Plot Extent Price per cottah Nature of sale Number land
8.1.1999 417 5 cottah Rs. 70000 Beel
8.1.1999 417 5 cottah Rs: 70000 Beel
29.3.2000 417 3 cottah 1 chitak Rs. 65,396 Beel
25.6.1999 445
