IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) THURSDAY, THE TWENTY FOURTH DAY OF JULY TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MS JUSTICE G.ROHINI WRIT PETITION NO : 5378 of 2008 Between: 1 Patru Padmavathamma Wo.Jayarami Reddy, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 2 Upputuru Venkatasubbayya S/o.Seshaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 3 Upputuru Venkata Ramanayya, S/o.Yellappa, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 4 Nagam Ramachandra Reddy, S/o.Yella Reddy R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 5 Pasupula Seshaiah, S/o.Subbayya, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 6 Bayinaboyina Chinnaiah S/o.Nandaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 7 Paluru Ramasubba Reddy S/o.Veera Reddy, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 8 Majjari Atchamma W/o.Veeraiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 9 Nagam Subba Reddy, S/o.Abbi Reddy R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 10 Kotla Subbamma W/o.Subbaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 11 Upputuru Chinna Venkatasubbayya S/o.Yellappa R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 12 Bayanaboyina Gangaiah S/o.Nandaiah R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 13 Kotla Ramasubbaiah S/o.Subbaiah R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 14 Virur Govindu Chelamaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 15 Kotla Subbarayudu S/o.Subbaiah R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 16 Mainenipatnam Venkateswarlu, S/o.Narayana, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 17 Upputuru Jogaiah, S/o.Gangulaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 18 Upputuru Subbamma W/o.Seshaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 19 Gopavaram Penchalaiah, S/o.Ramakrishnaiah R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 20 Bodagala Ramanjulu S/o.Seetharamaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 21 Gopavaram Narasimhulu S/o.Narsimhulu R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 22 Sollu Venkataratnam S/o.Chenchaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 23 Nagam Ramakrishna Reddy S/o.Pedda Yella Reddy, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 24 Yerukuthota Subbalakhumma W/o.Gangaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 25 Munagapati Balarama Raju S/o.Venkata Subbaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 26 Munagapati Venkateswarlu, S/o.Pullaiah R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 27 Mungapati Gangulaiah, S/o.Venkatasubbaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 28 Mamidi Venkata Subba Reddy S/o.Venkatasubba Reddy, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 29 Nagam Subba Reddy, S/o.Abbi Reddy R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 30 Bobbili Ramanamma W/o.Nagaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 31 Kokatam Narasimhulu S/o.Penchalaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 32 Chinthamreddy Sreenivasulu Reddy S/o.Sesha Reddy R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 33 Upputuru Pedda Venkatasubbaiah, S/o.Subbaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 34 Narasapuram Rangaiah, S/o.Subbaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 35 Kovrivi Penchalaiah, S/o.Narasimhulu R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 36 Penagaluru Peddaiah, S/o.Papaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 37 Chundur Venkata Ramaiah, S/o.Venkata Subbaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 38 Chunduru Venkatasubbaiah, S/o.Subbaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 39 Upputuru Venkataswamy S/o.Yellappa, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 40 Bayanaboyaina Narayana S/o.Nadaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 41 Mummadi Subbaiah, S/o.Subbaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 42 Rendla Subba Reddy, S/o.Gopi Reddy R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 43 Nagam Pitchi Reddy S/o.Yellaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 44 Nagam Rajagopalamma W/o.Yella Reddy, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 45 Nagam Sreenivasulu Reddy, S/o.Venkata Reddy, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 46 Pothireddy Sreenivasulu Reddy S/o.Subba Reddy, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 47 Upputuru Subbaiah, S/o.Gangulaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist 48 Pungani Papaiah, S/o.Papaiah, R/o.Kurmarunipalle H/o.Chenduvoy Atloor (M) Kadapa Dist ..... PETITIONERS AND 1 The Govt of Andhra Pradesh rep.by its Secretary Irrigation &CAD Department Secretariat,Hyd 2 The Special Collector(LA) G.N.S.S Sankarapuram,Kadapa Dist 3 The Special Deputy Collector(LA) Telugu Ganga Project Unit-II, Mamillapalle,Kadapa Dist .....RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to issue an appropriate writ order or direction more particularly one in the nature of writ of Mandamus directing the respondents 1to 3 herein to award interest on the market value solatium and additional market value from the date of 4(1) notification i.e 2-3-1995 to date of realization instead of from the date of 28-A applications i.e 25- 7-2002 on par with the judgment and Decree of the Dist Judge Kadapa Dt.24-4-2002 in LAOP No.1074 of 2004 and 1075 of 2001 and pay the same to the petitioners herein pursuance of their in pursuance of their applications field under section 28-A dt.25-7-2002. Counsel for the Petitioners : MR. Y.VENKATASATYAM Counsel for the Respondents : GP FOR GENERAL ADMINISTRATION The Court made the following : THE HON’BLE Ms. JUSTICE G. ROHINI WRIT PETITION NO.5378 OF 2008 ORDER : The houses belonging to the petitioners herein situated in Kumarunipalle Village, Hamlet of Chenduvoy Village, Atloor Mandal, Kadapa District, were acquired under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short, ‘the Act’) for the purpose of foreshore submergence under 330 contour of Somasila Project. The notification under Section 4(1) of the Act was published on 2.3.1995 followed by a declaration under Section 6 of the Act dated 28.4.1995. Thereafter, compensation was determined vide Award No.2 of 1995, dated 20.8.1995. Aggrieved by the compensation awarded, some of the claimants covered by the notification dated 2.3.1995 sought reference under Section 18 of the Act. Pursuant thereto LAOP.No.1074/2001 and LAOP.No.1075 of 2001 on the file of the Court of the District Judge, Kadapa were tried and decided by order dated 24.4.2002 fixing the compensation for houses and structures by 100% over and above the market value awarded by the Land Acquisition Officer. It is stated that the petitioners herein, who could not seek reference under Section 18 of the Act, made an application under Section 28-A of the Act for re-determination of the compensation on the basis of the Award passed by the District Court, Kadapa in LAOP.Nos.1074 & 1075 of 2001. Since the said application was not considered, the petitioners filed W.P.No.12080 of 2007 and the same was disposed of by this Court with a direction to the Special Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition), Telugu Ganga Project, Unit.II, Mamillapalli, Kadapa District, Kadapa to consider and pass appropriate orders expeditiously. In the meanwhile, the Government preferred Appeals against the order of the Reference Court in LAOP.Nos.1074 & 1075 of 2001. The said appeals were allowed by a Division Bench of this Court in part reducing the compensation from 100% to 80%, however awarding all statutory benefits including interest, solatium and additional market value. Thereafter, the 3rd respondent by order dated 12.1.2008 re- determined the compensation as sought by the petitioners in LAOP.Nos.1074 & 1075 of 2001. However, the interest was awarded from the date of application under Section 28-A of the Act instead of the date of 4(1) notification. Aggrieved by the said order, dated 12.1.2008 the present writ petition is filed. I have heard the learned counsel for the petitioners as well as the learned Government Pleader appearing for the respondents. There can be no dispute about the settled legal position that re- determination under Section 28-A of the Act shall be made on the basis of compensation awarded by Reference Court including the interest and other statutory benefits. It is brought to my notice that in identical circumstances W.P.No.13241 of 2008 was disposed of by this Court setting aside the order passed by the Land Acquisition Officer to the extent of awarding interest from the date of application under Section 28- A of the Act instead of the date of Section 4(1) notification. The fact that the petitioners herein are also similarly situated has not been disputed by the learned Government Pleader. In the circumstances, I deem it appropriate to dispose of the Writ Petition setting aside the impugned order to the extent of the interest awarded and holding that the petitioners herein shall be entitled to interest in terms of the award passed by the Court of District Judge, Kadapa in LAOP.Nos.1074 & 1075 of 2001 as modified by this Court in Appeals. Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of modifying the impugned order to the extent indicated above. No costs. ______________ G. ROHINI, J. Dt. 24.07.2008 gbs