Maharashtra
State Road Transport Corporation Vs. State of Maharashtra & Ors [2003] Insc
140 (4 March 2003)
Doraiswamy
Raju & P.Venkatarama Reddi P.Venkatarama Reddi, J.
This
appeal by Special leave arises out of the judgment of the High Court of
judicature at Bombay in a first appeal and cross-
objection preferred under the Land Acquisition Act. The High Court affirmed the
judgment and decree passed by the Joint District Judge, Nashik. The acquisition
which is the subject matter of this appeal was in respect of 5,800 sq. meters
land situated near Satana town. The market value as on 7.5.1987 was fixed at
Rs.300/- per Sq. metre and the statutory benefits under the amended Sections 23
and 28 of L.A. Act were extended.
The
acquisition proceedings were initiated under the provisions of Maharashtra
Regional Town Planning Act, 1996 (hereinafter referred to as 'MRTP Act') read
with the Land Acquisition Act in the year 1987 for the purpose of extension of
bus-stand. Primarily, in this appeal, this Court is called upon to decide the
question whether amendments made to the Land Acquisition Act by Central Act No.
68 of 1984 to Sections 23 and Section 28 which confer certain additional
monetary benefits to the land holders are to be made applicable to the instant
acquisition.
It may
be noted that by Central Act 68 of 1984, sub- section (1-A) was added to
Section 23 which entitled the claimants to receive the amount calculated at the
rate of 12 per cent per annum on the market value for the period commencing on
and from the date of the publication of the notification under Section 4 (1) upto
the date of the award or the date of taking possession of the land, whichever
is earlier. It is ruled by the SCC 211) that this additional amount is part of
compensation awarded. Another benefit made available under Act 68 of 1984 is
the enhancement of solatium payable as per sub-section (2) of Section 23 from
15 per cent to 30 per cent. Under Section 28, as amended, the claimant is
entitled to receive interest on the excess compensation awarded at the
increased rates.
The
contention on behalf of the appellant is that the said amended provisions of
the Land Acquisition Act cannot be made applicable to the acquisition of land
resorted to under the MRTP Act, the reason being that those amendments to the
Land Acquisition Act subsequent to the date of the commencement of MRTP Act
1966 cannot be read into the MRTP Act. In other words, the contention is that
in matters relating to compensation and the allied benefits admissible to the
claimants/land holders, the relevant provisions of the Land Acquisition Act
(hereinafter referred to as L.A. Act) as they stood on the date of enactment of
the MRTP Act alone are relevant and the subsequent amendments thereto are
liable to be ignored in relation to an acquisition under MRTP Act. The
contention of the respondent-claimant is that any amendment made to the Land
Acquisition Act more particularly with regard to determination and payment of
compensation in respect of which there is no independent provision in the MRTP
Act shall be made applicable for the acquisition under the MRTP Act.
No
contrary intention is expressed in the MRTP Act to exclude the future
amendments to L.A. Act on the subject of compensation. It is further contended
that Section 126 is an instance of referential legislation.
The
answer to the question depends on the examination of provisions contained in
Chapter VII ("Land Acquisition") of MRTP Act and more particularly
the interpretation to be placed on Section 126(3) of the said Act which reads
as follows :
S. 126
:
(3)
"On publication of a declaration under the said section 6, the Collector
shall proceed to take order for the acquisition of the land under the said Act;
and provisions of that Act shall apply to the acquisition of the said land with
the modification that the market value of the land shall be, -
(i) where
the land is to be acquired for the purpose of a new town, the market value
prevailing on the date of publication of the notification constituting or
declaring the Development Authority for such town;
(ii)
where the land is acquired for the purposes of a Special Planning Authority,
the market value prevailing on the date of publication of the notification of
the area as an undeveloped area; and
(iii)
in any other case the market value on the date of publication of the interim
development plan, the draft development plan or the plan for the area or areas
for comprehensive development, which ever is earlier, or as the case may be,
the date or publication of the draft town planning scheme :
Provisos
omitted.
The
other provisions contained in Sections 125, 126, 128 and 129 may also be noted.
Section 125 lays down that any land required, reserved or designated in a
regional plan, development plan or town planning scheme for a public purpose
including plans for any area of comprehensive development or for any new town
shall be deemed to be land needed for a public purpose within the meaning of
the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
Section
126 (1) deals with modes of acquisition. It provides that after the publication
of a draft regional plan or a development or other plan or town planning
scheme, if any land is required or reserved for any of the public purposes
specified in the plans or scheme, the Planning Authority, Development Authority
or any Appropriate Authority may acquire the land
(a) by
mutual agreement;
(b) by
granting the land owner or the lessee subject to his paying or depositing the
value of the lessor's interest, floor space index or transferable development
rights against the area of the land surrendered free of cost and free from all
encumbrances etc.,
(c) by
making an application to the State Government for acquiring such land under the
Land Acquisition Act 1894.
Once
an application is made under clause (c) sub-section (1) of Section 126,
sub-section (2) provides that if the State Government is satisfied that the
land specified in the application is needed for the public purpose specified
therein or if the State Government itself is of the opinion that any land
included in any such plan is needed for any public purpose, it may make a
declaration to that effect in the Official Gazette, in the manner provided in
Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894. The declaration so published shall
be deemed to be a declaration duly made under the said section (i.e. section
6).
Pausing
here for a moment, it is seen that the State Government itself (except in cases
falling under Section 49 and 113 A) can suo moto make a declaration in the
manner provided under Section 6 of L.A. Act, if it forms the opinion that any
land included in the plan afore-mentioned is needed for a public purpose. The
proviso to sub-section (2) enjoins that subject to the provision contained in
sub-section (4), no such declaration shall be made after the expiry of one year
from the date of the publication of the draft regional plan, development plan
or any other plan or scheme, as the case may be. Sub-section (3) of Section 126
which is crucial for our purpose assimilates and absorbs the provisions of the
Land Acquisition Act for the purpose of acquisition of land after the stage of
publication of deemed declaration under Section 6. However, sub-section (3)
makes a modification in order to fix up a date corresponding to S. 4(1) of L.A.
Act. The modification is in respect of relevant date for the computation of
market value. This is provided for by clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of
sub-section (3) which are extracted above. These dates have to be substituted
for the date of publication of notification under S. 4(1) of L.A. Act. The last
sub-section in Section 126 is sub-section (4). This provision too has the
effect of modifying the Land Acquisition Act in a limited manner. Sub-section
(4) which starts with a non-obstante clause provides for two things :
(1) If
the declaration is not made within the period referred to in sub-section (2),
the State Government may make a fresh declaration and
(2) in
such a case, the market value of the land shall be the market value at the date
of declaration in the Official Gazette made for acquiring the land afresh.
Then,
we come to Section 128 (1) which enables the State Government, notwithstanding
anything contained in the Act, to acquire lands for a purpose other than the
one specified in any plan or scheme, by invoking the provisions of L.A. Act.
Sub-section (2) provides that the Planning Authority or the Development
Authority or appropriate Authority shall be deemed to be a 'person interested'
in the land acquired. It also says that in determining the amount of compensation
the market value shall be assessed as if the land has been released from the
reservation, or designation made in any plan or scheme. Sub-section (3) enjoins
that on the land vesting in the State Government under Section 16 or 17 of the
earlier Act, the relevant plan or scheme shall be deemed to be suitably varied
by reason of acquisition of the land. Section 129 corresponds to Section 17 or
the L.A. Act and provides for taking possession of the land in case of urgency
after giving notice of 15 days and thereupon the land shall vest in the State
Government free from encumbrances. For setting this provision in motion an
application should be made by the planning and other authorities at any time
after the publication of notification under Section 126 (2). The proviso to
Section 129 (1) corresponds to sub-section (3) of Section 17 which obligates
the Collector to offer to the persons interested compensation for the standing
crops and trees if any on the land and for any damage sustained by the land
holder on account of sudden dispossession unless it is excepted by Section 24
of L.A. Act.
Sub-section
(2) of Section 129 provides for payment of interest at the rate of 4 per cent
per annum on the amount of compensation from the date of taking possession of
the land upto the date of payment. This provision is attracted where possession
of land is taken by invoking urgency clause. The rate of interest is
specifically limited to 4 per cent which was the rate prevailing under the L.A.
Act when MRTP Act was enacted. Sub-section (3) of Section 129 provides for
payment of advance not exceeding 2/3rd of the amount estimated to be payable to
the person interested in case the possession of land is taken under sub-section
(1) of Section 129. To some extent, it corresponds to sub-section (3A) of
Section 17 instead by Act 68 of 1984 and it marks a departure from the then
existing provision of L.A. Act, i.e. Section 17. Thus, as far as acquisition on
urgent basis is concerned, specific and detailed provisions are made under Section
129. Incidentally, we may mention that there is no pleading nor material before
us that the acquisition in question was under Section 129(1). We need not
therefore consider whether the rate of interest could be limited to 4%.
These
are broadly the salient provisions with which we are concerned and in the midst
of which the crucial provision, namely, sub-section (3) of Section 126 stands.
It is
a well established legislative practice to borrow the provisions of an earlier
Act on a particular subject by making a broad reference to the earlier Act or
some or most of its provisions therein so as to make them applicable to the
relevant subject matter dealt with by the later statute. This is done primarily
as a matter of convenience in order to avoid verbatim repetition of the
provisions of the earlier Act. Very often such reference is followed by certain
modifications subject to which the earlier Act should apply. Those
modifications may be few or numerous. When such legislative device is adopted,
the relevant provisions of the earlier Act will apply mutatis mutandis to the
matters governed by the later Act. But, the difficulty in construction would
arise when the earlier Act is repealed or amended/modified. The intricate
question then would be whether the repeal or amendments should be ignored and
the borrowed provisions should be read as they were at the time of enactment of
later Act OR the provisions of earlier Act should be applied subject to
subsequent amendments/modifications. If there is a definite indication in the
later Act as to the applicability or otherwise of subsequent amendments in the
Act referred to, no difficulty arises; but, the problem arises when there is no
such indication. It is here that we come across two allied but qualitatively different
concepts of statutory interpretation known as incorporation by reference and
mere reference or citation of earlier statute in the later Act. In the former
case, any change in the incorporated statute by way of amendment or repeal has
no effect on the incorporating statute.
In
other words, the provisions of the incorporated statute as they stood at the
relevant time when incorporating statute was enacted will ever continue to be
read into that later statute unless the legislature takes a positive step to
amend the later statute in tune with the amendments. However, the legal effect
is otherwise in the case of a statute which merely makes a reference to the
provisions of an earlier statute. In that case, the modification of the statute
from time to time, will have its impact on the statute in which it is referred
to. The provisions in the earlier statute with their amendments will have to be
read into the later enactment in which they are referred to unless any such
subsequent amendment is inconsistent with a specific provision already in
existence.
The
expression 'incorporation by reference' has been aptly and succinctly expounded
by the Privy Council in Limited [A.I.R. 1931 P.C. 149]. We shall quote the
relevant passage occurring at Page 152.
"In
this country it is accepted that where a statute is incorporated by reference
into a second statute, the repeal of the first statute does not affect the
second:" x x x "The independent existence of the two Acts is
therefore recognized; despite the death of the parent Act, its offspring
survives in the incorporating Act. Though no such saving clause appears in the
General Clauses Act, their Lordships think that the principle involved is as
much applicable in India as it is in this country." As
regards additions in the first statute by way of subsequent amendments, the
position has been clarified in the following words:
"It
seems to be no less logical to hold that where certain provisions from an
existing Act have been incorporated into a subsequent Act, no addition to the
former Act, which is not expressly made applicable to the subsequent Act, can
be deemed to be incorporated in it, at all events if it is possible for the
subsequent Act to function effectually without the addition." The
distinction between incorporation by reference and adoption of provisions by
mere reference or citation is not too easy to highlight. The distinction is one
of difference in degree and is often blurred. The fact that no clear-cut
guidelines or distinguishing features have been spelt out to ascertain whether
it belongs to one or the other category makes the task of identification
difficult. The semantics associated with interpretation play their role to a
limited extent. Ultimately, it is a matter of probe into legislative intention
and/or taking an insight into the working of the enactment if one or the other
view is adopted. The doctrinaire approach to ascertain whether the legislation
is by incorporation or reference is, on ultimate analysis, directed towards
that end. The distinction often pales into insignificance with the exceptions
enveloping the main rule.
Did
the Legislature intend to bind itself to any future changes that may be made to
the earlier enactment from which the provisions are borrowed? OR whether the
Legislature had frozen the provisions of earlier Act prevailing on the date of
enactment of later statute so as to insulate it from the impact of subsequent
modifications? These are the questions which loom large in judging the question
whether the provisions borrowed from an earlier Act should be read subject to
the subsequent amendments made therein. The language, the scheme and purpose of
the Act no doubt assume significance while finding answer to this question.
One
indicia to spell out whether it is a case of incorporation or reference has
been furnished by the decision of Insurance Society Ltd, (Supra), that is,
whether the modifications that are made to the provisions of the earlier Act
while broadly adopting the same are "numerous and substantial". What
that observation means is if they are "numerous and substantial",
prima facie it manifests an intention on the part of the Legislature not to go
beyond the provisions of the borrowed Act as they existed at the time of
enactment of the later Act except reading them subject to the modifications
made.
This
very issuewhether the M.R.T.P. Act had incorporated in itself the original
provisions of the Land Acquisition Act or adopted the provisions of the Land
Acquisition Act by reference came up for consideration in a Joginder Singh,
(1995 Suppl. 2 SCC 475). There, the question arose whether Section 11A of the
Land Acquisition Act introduced by Central Act 68 of 84 which prescribed the
outer limit for passing the award under Section 11 and also providing for the
consequence of non-compliance thereof should be read into the M.R.T.P. Act by
virtue of Section 126(3). A two Judge Bench of this Court answered that
question in the negative. The learned Judges have mainly relied on sub-Sections
(2) & (4) of Section 126 for reaching the conclusion that a provision like
Section 11A of the Land Acquisition Act stands excluded by necessary
implication. Their Lordships also discussed the question whether the provisions
of M.R.T.P. Act dealing with acquisition of land have incorporated the
provisions of L.A. Act or only adopted them by a process of reference. Relying
on the SCC Page 92] in which the provisions of U.P. Avas Evam Vikas Parishad Adhiniyam
fell for consideration, this Court expressed the view that "similar is the
position under the Act", meaning thereby that the subsequent amendments to
the L.A. Act cannot be transposed into the M.R.T.P. Act. At the same time, a
distinction was made between procedural and substantive provisions and it was
observed that Section 11A which is a procedural provision, does not stand on
the same footing as Section 23 of the L.A. Act. A further observation was made
that the legislature did not intend to apply the unspecified provisions of the
earlier Act to the exercise of power of acquisition under M.R.T.P. Act. The
learned Judges proceeded on the basis that the scheme and provisions of U.P. Adhiniyam
and M.R.T.P. Act are the same. Though we find that there are certain
differences between the two provisions, it is however not necessary to dilate on
this aspect further. The ultimate conclusion in Sant Joginder Singh's case
seems to rest on the ratio that there is sufficient indicia in M.R.T.P. Act
itself to exclude the applicability of Section 11 A of the L.A. Act in view of
sub-Sections (2) and (4) of Section 126. As we are approaching the question of
correct interpretation of Section 126 (3) from a different perspective, there
is no need to enter into a further discussion as to whether and to what extent
support can be drawn from this decision.
We are
of the view that the issue arising in the present case can be decided on a
different principle in the light of two recent decisions of this Court without
undertaking an exercise of placing Section 126 (3) into one or the other
category of legislation.
First,
we have the case of U.P. Avas Evam Vikas Parishad V. Jainul Islam (1998 (2) SCC
467) decided by a three-Judge Bench. The Court having reached a conclusion that
the U.P. Avas Vikas Parishad Adhiniyam, 1965 must be deemed to have
incorporated the provisions of L.A Act as then existing subject to
modifications specified in the Adhiniyam, did not go further to reach a logical
conclusion that the amendments to L.A Act by Act 68 of 1984 cannot be read into
the Adhiniyam. The issue was, however, approached from a different angle, by
applying the well known principle of statutory interpretation that "if
certain provisions of law, construed in one way, would make them consistent
with the Constitution and another interpretation would render them unconstitutional,
the court would lean in favour of the former construction". Proceeding on
this line of enquiry, it was observed thus :
"We
would, therefore, examine whether the provisions of the Adhiniyam if they are
so construed as to incorporate the provisions of the LA Act as it stood on the
date of enactment of the Adhiniyam without the amendments introduced in the LA
Act by the 1984 Act relating to determination and payment of compensation would
be violative of the provisions of Article 14 of the Constitution. In this
context, it may be stated that if the provisions are construed as indicated
above an owner whose land is acquired for the purpose of the Adhiniyam would be
entitled to payment of solatium under Section 23(2) of the LA Act @ 15% and
interest under Section 28 of the LA Act @ 6% but an owner whose lands are
acquired under the provisions of the LA Act as amended by the 1984 Act would be
entitled to payment of solatium @ 30% and interest @ 9% and 15% and would also
be entitled to payment of additional amount as per the provisions of Section
23(1-A) of the LA Act, as amended.
In
other words, the compensation payable to the owner whose land is acquired for
the purposes of the Adhiniyam would be less than the compensation payable to
the owner whose land is acquired under the LA Act as amended by the 1984 Act.
Is there any rational basis for treating the two landowners differently in the
matter of payment of compensation for the acquisition of their lands?"
Relying on the special Bench decision of this Court in Nagpur Improvement Trust
case (1973 (1) SCC 500), the learned Judges held :
"The
reasons which weighed with this Court striking down the provisions of the Nagpur
Improvement Trust Act whereby Section 23 of the earlier Act had been modified
in its application for the purpose of acquisition under the said Act would,
therefore, equally apply while considering the constitutional validity of the
provisions of the Adhiniyam whereunder the provisions of Section 23 of the LA
Act have been modified under the Schedule to the Adhiniyam." The opinion
was further reinforced in Para 31 and a final view was expressed in the
following terms :
"Since
the present case involves acquisition of land under the provisions of the LA
Act as applicable under the Adhiniyam, it is fully covered by the law laid down
by this Court in Nagpur Improvement Trust. Keeping in view the principles laid
down in the said decision of this Court, it has to be held that if the
provisions of the Adhiniyam are so construed as to mean that the provisions of
the LA Act, as they stood on the date of enactment of the Adhiniyam, would be
applicable to acquisition of land for the purpose of the Adhiniyam and that the
amendments introduced in the LA Act, by the 1984 Act relating to determination
and payment of compensation are not applicable, the consequence would be that
the provisions of the LA Act, as applicable under the Adhiniyam would suffer
from the vice of arbitrary and hostile discrimination. Such a consequence would
be avoided if the provisions of the Adhiniyam are construed to mean that the
provisions of the LA Act, as amended by the 1984 Act, relating to determination
and payment of compensation would apply to acquisition of land for the purposes
of the Adhiniyam. There is nothing in the Adhiniyam which precludes adopting
the latter construction (emphasis supplied).
On the
other hand, the provisions of the Adhiniyam show that the intention of the
legislature, While enacting the Adhiniyam, was to confer the benefit of solatium
@ 15% by modifying Section 23(2) in the Schedule, which benefit was not
available under the provisions of the LA Act as it was applicable in the State
of Uttar Pradesh at the time of enactment of the Adhiniyam: It cannot,
therefore, be said that the intention of the legislature, in enacting the Adhiniyam,
was to deny to the landowners the benefits relating to determination and
payment of compensation which would be available to them under any amendment
made in the LA Act after the enactment of the Adhiniyam. We are, therefore, of
the opinion that on a proper construction of Section 55 of the Adhiniyam it
must be held that while incorporating the provisions of the LA Act in the Adhiniyam
the intention of the legislature was that amendments in the LA Act relating to
determination and payment of compensation would be applicable to acquisition of
lands for the purposes of the Adhiniyam. This means that the amendments
introduced in the LA Act by the 1984 Act relating to determination and payment
of compensation, viz., Section 23(1-A) and Section 23(2) and 28 as amended by
the 1984 Act would be applicable to acquisitions for the purposes of the Adhiniyam
under Section 55 of the Adhiniyam." It may be noted that in Nagpur
Improvement Trust case, the special Bench ruled that in the matter of evolving
principles for assessment of compensation, there can be no valid classification
on the basis of the authority acquiring the land. As far as the owner is
concerned, it does not matter to him whether the land is acquired by one
authority or the other.
We
have a similar situation here. The ratio and reasoning in U.P. A.E.V. Parishad
case applies with equal, if not greater force, to the acquisition under Chapter
VII of MRTP Act of which Section 126(3) is a part. In fact the modifications
made by MRTP Act to the provisions of L.A. Act are minimal and at any rate,
less substantial than those effected by U.P.
Adhiniyam
except in regard to the urgent acquisition dealt with by Section 129. The
matters covered by the earlier Act have not been specifically referred to or
restated because it is already ordained by Section 126(3) that the provisions
of L.A Act should be applied to the acquisition of land notified under the MRTP
Act. As regards the determination of compensation, there are no modifications of
substantial or drastic nature. The modification in Section 126(3) relating to
the date of ascertainment of market value is only warranted in the context of
the scheme of the Act. Section 126(4) read with the proviso to sub-section (2)
is aimed at giving a fair deal to the land holder while at the same time
reserving the power to issue a fresh declaration notwithstanding the expiry of
one year. If such fresh declaration is issued, the market value shall be
assessed with reference to the date of publication of fresh declaration. In our
view, the provisions contained in Section 126 or any other provisions occurring
in Chapter VII (discussed supra), far from manifesting an intention not to
apply the provisions of L.A. Act as amended from time to time vis--vis compensation
seem to suggest that the legislature did not intend to make a marked departure
from the L.A. Act on the subject of compensation and other allied monetary
benefits. Reiterating the observation made in U.P. Awas Parishad case in para
31, we hold that there is nothing in the MRTP Act which precludes adopting the
construction that the provision of L.A. Act, as amended by 1984 Act relating to
award of compensation, would apply with full vigour to the acquisition of land
under that Act. Unless such interpretation is placed on Section 126(3) the
acquisition under MRTP Act will be afflicted with the vice of invidious
discrimination and palpable arbitrariness hit by Article 14 of the
Constitution. If the interpretation which is sought to be placed by the appellant
is accepted Section 126(3) itself is liable to be struck down as violative of
Article 14 in which case the entire process of acquisition contemplated by
Chapter VII will become unworkable and ineffectual. The land-holders whose
lands are acquired under Chapter VII of MRTP Act cannot, in our view, be
subjected to a disability or disadvantage in the matter of obtaining monetary
recompense for the deprivation of land depending upon the nature of public
purpose or the authority for whose benefit the land is acquired.
The
view taken in U.P. A.E.V. Parishad case was reiterated by a three-Judge Bench
of this Court in a very (2002 (7) SCC 657). The ratio of the decision in
U.P.A.E.V. Parishad case and the conclusion reached therein were endorsed and
applied to the cases of acquisition under Punjab Town Improvement Act 1922 and Nagpur
Improvement Trust Act 1936. After referring in extenso to the U.P.A.E.V. Parishad
case, B.P. Singh, J. speaking for the Court observed at paragraph 50 :
"So
far as the Punjab Act and the Nagpur Act are concerned, the Schedules do not
modify the provisions of Section 23(2) of the Land Acquisition Act which
provides for payment of solatium. However, a proviso was added to the effect
that sub-section (2) shall not apply to any land acquired under the State Acts
in question. The added proviso is identical in both the State Acts. This
clearly implies that where acquisition was made under the provisions of the
land Acquisition Act, as modified, the legislature did not intend to deprive
the claimants of solatium as provided under the Land Acquisition Act. But solatium
was not payable in cases of acquisition under the State Acts. There are
provisions in both the State Acts which permit the State to acquire lands for
the purposes of the schemes without resorting to the provisions of the Land
Acquisition Act such as acquisition by purchase, lease, exchange, or otherwise,
or acquisitions contemplated under deferred street scheme, development scheme
and expansion scheme. In respect of such acquisitions solatium is not payable.
Such cases are similar to the acquisitions under Section 53 of the Bombay Town
Planning Act which was considered by this Court in Prakash Amichand Shah v.
State of Gujarat. In these circumstances with a view to save the law from the
vice of arbitrary and hostile discrimination, the provisions must be construed
to mean, in the absence of anything to the contrary, that the provisions of the
Land Acquisition Act as amended by the 1984 Act relating to determination and
payment of compensation would apply to acquisition of land for the purposes of
the State Acts. It must, therefore, be held that while incorporating the
provisions of the Land Acquisition Act in the State Acts, the intention of the
legislature was that amendments in the Land Acquisition Act relating to
determination and payment of compensation would be applicable to acquisition of
lands for the purposes of the State Acts." The learned Judges held that
the claimants were entitled to the benefits conferred by Section 23 (1-A), if
applicable, and Sections 23(2) and 28 of L.A. Act as amended by 1984 Act.
In the
light of the analysis we have made of the provisions of MRTP Act and the two
verdicts of this Court handed down by three Judge Benches, we must reject the
contention advanced on behalf of the appellants and uphold the view taken by
the High Court. The award of the district Judge, Nashik, in the Reference Case
where- under the benefits under Sections 23(1-A), 23(2) and Section 28 of the
L.A. Act as amended by the 1984 Act were extended to the respondents, calls for
no interference.
Some
attempt was made to assail the conclusion of the Reference Court and the High
Court vis--vis the quantum of market value. It is contended that the amount
claimed by the land-holders/respondents is much less than what was awarded by
the court. No such contention was raised before the High Court nor any material
placed before us to substantiate this contention. Moreover, we are informed
that a Review Petition was filed in the High Court and the same was dismissed.
But no S.L.P. has been filed against that order. We need not dilate further on
this contention.
In the
result the appeal is dismissed, but, without costs.
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