RFA No. 832 of 2002 (O&M) (1) In the High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh Date of decision : 18.4.2009 1. RFA No. 832 of 2002 (O&M) Smt. Parminder Kaur and others ..... Appellants vs Union Territory, Chandigarh .... Respondent 2. RFA No. 162 of 2002 (O&M) Kishan Lal ..... Appellant vs Union Territory, Chandigarh .... Respondent 3. RFA No. 163 of 2002 (O&M) Smt. Gurdial Surjit Singh and others ..... Appellants vs Union Territory, Chandigarh .... Respondent 4. RFA No. 202 of 2002 (O&M) Rajesh Kumar ..... Appellant vs Union Territory, Chandigarh .... Respondent 5. RFA No. 203 of 2002 (O&M) Vinod Kumar ..... Appellant vs Union Territory, Chandigarh .... Respondent 6. RFA No. 1358 of 2002 (O&M) Smt. Darshna Sharma ..... Appellant vs Union Territory, Chandigarh .... Respondent 7. RFA No. 1432 of 2002 (O&M) Dharam Singh and others ..... Appellants vs Union Territory, Chandigarh .... Respondent 8. RFA No. 2006 of 2002 (O&M) Baljit Singh ..... Appellant vs Union of India .... Respondent 9. RFA No. 2007 of 2002 (O&M) Baljit Singh ..... Appellant vs Union of India .... Respondent RFA No. 832 of 2002 (O&M) (2) 10. RFA No. 2587 of 2002 (O&M) U. T. Chandigarh ..... Appellant vs Naurang Singh and others .... Respondents 11. RFA No. 2588 of 2002 (O&M) Union of India ..... Appellant vs Bakshish Singh .... Respondent 12. RFA No. 2590 of 2002 (O&M) Union Territory, Chandigarh ..... Appellant vs Smt. Parminder Kaur and others .... Respondents 13. RFA No. 2591 of 2002 (O&M) Union of India ..... Appellant vs Baljit Singh .... Respondent 14. RFA No. 2592 of 2002 (O&M) Union of India ..... Appellant vs Smt. Labh Kaur .... Respondent 15. RFA No. 2593 of 2002 (O&M) Union of India ..... Appellant vs Gurjang Singh and others .... Respondents 16. RFA No. 2594 of 2002 (O&M) Union of India ..... Appellant vs Manimajra Motor Traders Union .... Respondent 17. RFA No. 2595 of 2002 (O&M) Union of India ..... Appellant vs Baljit Singh .... Respondent 18. RFA No. 2824 of 2002 (O&M) Smt. Labh Kaur ..... Appellant vs Union of India .... Respondent RFA No. 832 of 2002 (O&M) (3) 19. RFA No. 3376 of 2002 (O&M) Gurjang Singh and others ..... Appellants vs Union of India .... Respondent 20. RFA No. 3982 of 2002 (O&M) Gurjang Singh and others ..... Appellants vs Union of India .... Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH BINDAL Present: Mr. P. C. Dhiman, Advocate, Mr. Surinder Gandhi, Advocate for Mr. Hardip Singh, Advocate, Ms. Ekta Thakur, Advocate, Mr. Gurmail Singh, Advocate for Mr. D. S. Raghu, Advocate, for the landowners. Mr. Sanjiv Ghai, Advocate, Mr. Sikander Bakshi, Advocate for Mr. Vishal Sodhi, Advocate, for UT Chandigarh. Rajesh Bindal J. This order will dispose of a bunch of 20 appeals, as the same arise out of a common acquisition. R.F.A. Nos. 162, 163, 202, 203, 832, 1358, 1432, 2006, 2007, 2824, 3376 and 3982 of 2002 have been filed by the land owners seeking further enhancement of the compensation awarded by the learned court below. R.F.A. Nos. 2587, 2588, and 2590 to 2595 of 2002 have been filed by the Union Territory, Chandigarh and Union of India seeking reduction of compensation awarded to the land owners by the learned court below. The facts have been noticed from R.F.A. No. 832 of 2002. Briefly, the facts are that notification dated 27.11.1991, under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short, `the Act'), was issued for acquisition of land in the revenue estate of Manimajra, UT Chandigarh, for setting up of Nurseries. The Land Acquisition Collector (for short, `the Collector'), vide award dated 5.2.1993 assessed the market value at Rs. 2 lacs per acre for all kinds of land except gair mumkin nadi and nallah for which the market value was assessed at Rs. 75,000/- per acre. Dissatisfied with the award of the Collector, the land owners filed objections. On reference under Section 18 of the Act, learned court below enhanced the compensation from Rs. 2 lacs per acre to Rs. 4,35,600/- per acre. It is this award which is impugned in the present set of appeals. Learned counsel for the landowners submitted that the learned Reference court has failed to assess the fair market value of the acquired land. The RFA No. 832 of 2002 (O&M) (4) acquired land is situated at left side of the Chandigarh-Kalka Road. The compensation determined by the learned Reference court is on the lower side as the acquired land is situated in between Chandigarh, Panchkula and Housing Board Colony of NAC Manimajra. The area adjoining the acquired land is developed area. It has great potential value for being used as residential, commercial and industrial purposes. Learned counsel for the landowners have also relied upon an earlier judgment of this Court in R.F.A. No. 893 of 2000 R. D. Sharma and another vs The Union Territory of Chandigarh, decided on 20.10.2008, where for the land situated on other side of the road for which the acquisition was carried out vide notification dated 10.12.1991, this Court had determined the value of the land at Rs. 196/- per square yard. On the other hand, learned counsel appearing for Union Territory, Chandigarh, submitted that much more has been granted by the learned Reference Court. The submission is that the award in other case cannot be made basis for determination of the value of the land in the present case unless there is any independent evidence to prove the value of the land in the area. Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record. As far as the location of the acquired land is concerned, it is not disputed by either of the parties. It is also not in dispute that the acquisition carried out vide notification dated 10.12.1991 for setting up of Artisan village is on the right side of Chandigarh- Kalka Road and the land in question is located on left side of the road. This court in R.D.Sharma's case (supra) for the land acquired vide notification dated 10.12.1991 had assessed the compensation @ Rs. 196/- per square yard. The acquisition in the present set of appeals was carried out vide notification dated 27.11.1991. The judgment of this Court in R. D. Sharma's case (supra) is the best judicial precedent for the purpose of determination of fair value of the land in the present. As there is difference of only 12 days in both the notifications and the acquired land is situated just on the other side of the road, the value of the acquired land in the present case is also assessed at Rs.196/- per square yard. The landowners in the present set of appeals shall also be entitled to statutory benefits as are available under the Act. The appeals are allowed in the manner indicated above. 18.4.2009 ( Rajesh Bindal) vs. Judge