2023 Supreme(Online)(KAR) 21134
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WP No.109477 of 2016
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH
DATED THIS THE 28TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2023
BEFORE
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM
WRIT PETITION NO.109477 OF 2016 (LA-RES)
BETWEEN:
SANGAPPA S/O SHANKRAPPA PATTAR,
AGE: 65 YEARS, OCC: BUSINESS & AGRL.,
R/O. KOODAL SANGAM, TQ: HUNAGUND,
DIST: BAGALKOT.
…PETITIONER
(BY SRI LAXMAN T.MANTAGANI, ADVOCATE)
AND:
1.
STATE OF KARNATAKA,
BY ITS SECRETARY,
REVENUE DEPARTMENT,
VIDHAN SOUDHA, BENGALURU.
2.
MANAGING DIRECTOR,
LAND ACQUISITION,
KRISHNA UPPER PROJECT,
NAVANAGAR, BAGALKOT.
3.
THE COMMISSIONER,
REHABILITATION & RESETTLEMENT,
SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION,
KRISHNA UPPER PROJECT,
NAVANAGAR, BAGALKOT.
4.
ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ENGINEER,
REHABILITATION SUB-DIVISION,
DIVISION NO.4, ALAMATTI,
TQ: BASAVANA BAGEWADI,
DIST VIJAYAPUR.
…RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI PRASHANT V.MOGALI, HCGP)
Digitally signed
by JAGADISH T
R
Location: High
Court of
Karnataka,
Dharwad
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WP No.109477 of 2016
THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 & 227
OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING THIS COURT TO ISSUE A
WRIT OF CERTIORARI QUASHING THE ENDORSEMENT DATED
21.05.2016 ISSUED BY THE 4TH RESPONDENT VIDE ANNEXURE-J
AND TO ISSUE A WRIT OF MANDAMUS DIRECTING RESPONDENT
NO.2
TO
4
TO
DETERMINE
AND
PAY
THE
AMOUNT
OF
COMPENSATION TO THE SHED CONSTRUCTED TO RUN SAW MILL IN
SY.NO.87/7 OF VARAGODADINNI VILLAGE OF HUNAGUND TALUK IN
BAGALAKOTE DISTRICT CONSIDERING THE LICENCE ISSUED BY THE
GRAM
PANCHAYATH
AND
ELECTRICITY
SUPPLY
CONNECTION
GRANTED BY THE HESCOM BAGALKOT VIDE ANNEXURE-C, D AND
D.1 AND SUCH OTHER RELIEFS.
THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING IN
‘B’ GROUP, THIS DAY, THE COURT MADE THE FOLLOWING:
The captioned writ petition is filed by the petitioner
seeking the following reliefs;
i)
Issue
a
writ
of
Certiorari
qusshing
the
endorsement dated 21.05.2016 issued by the
4th
respondent
in
No.Kri.Me.Yo/
PuUPaVi.No.4/Bhu/2016-17/103
vide
Annexure-J.
ii)
Issue a writ of mandamus directing the
Respondent No.2 to 4 to determine and pay the
amount
of
compensation
to
the
shed
constructed to run saw mill in Sy.Nol.87/7 of
Varagodadinni village of Hunagund Taluk in
Bagalakote District considering the licence
issued by the Gram panchayat and electricity
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supply connect granted by HESCOM Bagalakote
dated 16.03.2009 vide Annexures-C, D & D1.
iii)
Issue any other order or direction as this
Hon’ble Court deems fit in the circumstances of
the case, in the interest of justice and equity.
The grievance of the petitioner before this Court
is
that
the
respondents
are
declining
to
grant
compensation to the petitioner herein, though the entire
village wherein the petitioner’s land bearing Sy.No.87/7 is
situated and submerged in the backwater of Upper Krishna
Project. The petitioner’s case is that the respondents have
notified Sy.No.87, which comprises several hissas i.e.,
Sy.No.87/1,
Sy.No.87/2,
Sy.No.87/3,
Sy.No.87/4,
Sy.No.87/5 and Sy.No.87/6. However, the grievance of
the petitioner before this Court is that the respondents
have excluded Sy.No.87/7 only on the ground that the
property held by the petitioner does not bear Upper
Krishna Project number. The petitioner’s grievance is that
the residential house in the adjoining property bearing
UKP
Nos.41
(Sy.No.87/2)
UKP.No.42
(Sy.No.87/1)
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UKP.No.45 (Sy.No.87/3) were notified, considered and
compensation has been determined, but, his sawmill
located in Sy.No.87/7 is excluded.
The 4th respondent vide endorsement dated
21.05.2016 vide Annexure-J has declined to grant
compensation on the ground that the property owned by
the petitioner is not notified by UKP numbers and also on
the ground that the property held by petitioner does not
fall within the zone of submerged area.
Pending consideration of the writ petition, this
Court has appointed the Assistant Executive Engineer,
Rehabilitation
Sub-Division-4,
Alamatti,
as
a
Court
Commissioner to carryout spot inspection and examine the
location of Sy.No.87/7. The Court Commissioner has
submitted his report that the property/Sawmill of the
petitioner is at the height of 7.25 meters from the
submerged area. The surveyor has also furnished the copy
of photograph at Annexure-L.
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5.
It is not in dispute that the entire Varagodadinni
village is declared as submerged area. It is also not in
dispute that Sy.No.87 has in all seven sub-divisions. While
all six sub-divisions have been the part of the sub-merged
area, however, the respondents are claiming that the
petitioner’s sawmill does not fall within the zone of
backwater of Narayanapura Reservoir. This stand taken
by the respondents appears to be unreasonable. The
Commissioner’s
report
indicates
that
though
the
petitioner’s sawmill is at the height of 7.25 meters, but the
photograph which is produced along with writ petition at
Annexure-L clearly indicates that during Monsoon, even
the petitioner’s land also gets submerged on account of
backwaters. Therefore, the material on record clearly
indicates that the petitioner cannot utilize his property
during Monsoon and also during flooding. In this context,
this Court is of the view that the respondents/authorities
are bound to consider the petitioner’s grievance. Even if
UKP number is not assigned to the petitioner’s property,
the photograph at Annexure-L clearly indicates that the
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petitioner’s land which is adjacent to Sy.No.87/1 to 6 is
also a part of the submerged area of backwater.
6.
The impugned endorsement dated 21.05.2016
does not present any scenario to evaluate the backwater
impacts on account of Upper Krishna Project in the present
case on hand. If Sy.No.87/7 which is owned by the
petitioners is a part of S