RFA No. 2919 of 1998 -1- IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH RFA No. 2919 of 1998 (O&M) Date of Decision: 12.1.2011. Bakhshish Singh and others ....Appellants Versus The State of Punjab and another ...Respondents CORAM : Hon'ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Bindal Present:- Mr. A.S. Gill and Ms. Harpreet Kaur, Advocates for the land owners. Mr. Brijeshwar Singh Kanwar, Advocate for Union of India. RAJESH BINDAL J This order will dispose of RFA No. 2919, 2391 to 2393, 2920 to 2926 of 1998, 300, 2778 to 2780, 2851 of 1999, 47, 48 of 2000, as common questions of law and facts are involved. The land owners have filed appeals seeking further enhancement of compensation whereas by filing appeal the Union of India is seeking reduction thereof. The facts have been extracted from RFA No. 2919 of 1998. Briefly, the facts of the case are that Union of India vide notification dated 18.12.1987 issued under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 ( for short, 'the Act') acquired 306 kanals 18 marlas in village Lidhran and 83 kanals 1 marla in village Nangli Veeran for setting up Central Reserve Police Force Complex. The Land Acquisition Collector (for short, 'the Collector') assessed the market value of the acquired land @ ` 70,000/- per acre in respect of chahi land and @ ` 35,000/- per acre for Gair Mumkin and Barani kind of land. The land owners feeling dissatisfied with the quantum of compensation awarded by the Collector, filed objections. On reference under Section 18 of the Act, the learned Court below assessed the market value of the acquired land at ` 85,000/- per acre. It is this award which is impugned by both the parties before this Court. Learned counsel for the land owners submitted that the land in the RFA No. 2919 of 1998 -2- present case was acquired for the purpose of setting up of CRPF complex. The land pertains to village Lidhran and Nangli Veeran. Prior thereto in the same area the land was acquired for setting up of Government Engineering College vide notification dated 20.3.1983 for which this Court in RFA No. 1859 of 1990 titled as Gurbax Singh through LRs Vs. State of Punjab and others, decided on 13.10.2006, has assessed the compensation at the rate of ` 1,60,000/- per acre. Learned counsel further submitted that vide notification dated 6.6.1989, the chunk of land pertaining to village Kahlwan and Sarai khas was acquired for the purpose of setting up of CRPF Centre. The location of this centre is on the one side of Government Engineering College on Jalandhar road whereas the acquired land in question is located on the other side of Engineering college in the same direction. For the aforesaid acquisition as well this Court in R.F.A. No. 1159 of 1998 titled as Kartar Singh Vs. Union of India and others, decided on 18.2.2009, had assessed the compensation @ ` 1,60,000/- per acre. The land owners in the present set of appeals are also entitled to same amount of compensation. Learned counsel for Union of India did not dispute the aforesaid facts stated by learned counsel for the land owners specially with regard to the location of the land acquired for the purpose of construction of CRPF Centre and the acquisition in question vis-a-vis the location of Government Engineering College. Considering the fact that this Court had already determined the value of the land located in the vicinity and the learned counsel while placing reliance upon has prayed for grant of same amount of compensation, I do not find any reason to deny the land owners the same amount of compensation. Accordingly, the appeals filed by the land owners are allowed and they are held entitled to compensation for the acquired land at the rate of ` 1,60,000/- per acre along with statutory benefits available to them under the Act. The appeals filed by UOI are dismissed. Hon'ble the Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No. 6515 of 2009 Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation v. Pran Sukh and others, RFA No. 2919 of 1998 -3- decided on 17.8.2010, to ensure that the landowners are not fleeced by the middleman in the process of disbursement of enhanced compensation, issued certain directions. I deem it appropriate to issue same directions in the present set of appeals as well. The same are as under: “With a view to ensure that the land owners are not fleeced by the middleman, we deem it appropriate to issue following further directions: (i) The Land Acquisition Collector shall depute officers subordinate to him not below the rank of Naib Tehsildar, who shall get in touch with all the land owners and/or their legal representatives and inform them about their entitlement and right to receive enhanced compensation. (ii) The concerned officers shall also instruct the land owners and/or their legal representatives to open savings bank account in case they already do not have such account. (iii)The bank account numbers of the land owners should be given to the Land acquisition Collector within three months. (iv)The Land Acquisition Collector shall deposit the cheques of compensation in the bank accounts of the landowners.” (RAJESH BINDAL) 12.1.2011. JUDGE Reema