C.K.Abdul Rehim, Ag.CJ

The State Government and its officials are in appeal against

a common judgment of the Single Judge in three identical writ

petitions. The respondent in all the appeals are the writ

petitioners.

2.

The common contention agitated was that, while

passing the awards with respect to the lands acquired from the

respondents, the Land Acquisition Officer had failed to comply

with the mandates under Section 26 of the Right to Fair

Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,

Rehabilitation and Re-settlement Act, 2013 (hereinafter referred

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to as 'the Act' for short). To be precise, the writ petitioners

contended that, while fixing the land value the Land Acquisition

officer has adopted only the criteria stipulated in sub Clauses (a)

and (b) of Section 26(1) and failed to consider the criteria

prescribed under Clause (c) of the said Section. In this regard, it

is pointed out that the land value fixed by the land acquisition

officer in two of the cases is Rs.2,23,697.97/- and in one case is

Rs.2,21,131/-, per cent. Whereas it is pointed out that the

negotiated purchase value agreed upon by the 'State Level

Empowering Commit