( 1. ) IN this appeal preferred under Section 54 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for brevity the Act) the State of Madhya Pradesh has called in question the legal validity of the award passed by the Reference Court in MJC No. LA 28/96 by the IXth Additional District Judge, Bhopal.

( 2. ) THE undisputed facts are that the land in question admeasuring 87. 79 acres situated in Village Chananpura and 142. 41 acres of Village damkhera of District Bhopal were acquired for construction of Spill Channel of Kaliya-Gota Project in the Revenue District of Bhopal. The possession of the land was taken over in the year 1984 but notification under Section 4 (1)was issued on 2-2-91 which was published in the Official Gazette dated 29-3-91. It is not disputed that the notification under Section 4 (1) was published in two daily newspapers on 9-2-91. Objections were invited by publication of notice in the newspaper on 25/26-12-91. The declaration under Section 6 of the Act was issued and published in the Official Gazette, dated 17-8-92. Notice under section 9 (1) of the Act was issued to the land owners on 24-9-92 and eventually an award was passed on 8-7-93 by the Land Acquisition Officer.