RFA No. 198 of 2007 -1- In the High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh Date of decision : 18.4.2009 1. RFA No. 198 of 2007 (O&M) Harbans Singh and another ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 2. RFA No. 199 of 2007 (O&M) Gurdial Singh ..... Appellant vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 3. RFA No. 200 of 2007 (O&M) Jeet Singh ..... Appellant vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 4. RFA No. 201 of 2007 (O&M) Bohar Singh and another ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 5. RFA No. 202 of 2007 (O&M) Bohar Singh and another ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 6. RFA No. 203 of 2007 (O&M) Ranjit Kaur and others ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 7. RFA No. 205 of 2007 (O&M) Harpal Kaur and others ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 8. RFA No. 206 of 2007 (O&M) Harpal Kaur and others ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 9. RFA No. 207 of 2007 (O&M) Rajwant Singh and another ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents RFA No. 198 of 2007 -2- 10. RFA No. 208 of 2007 (O&M) Kheta Singh and another ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 11. RFA No. 1064 of 2007 (O&M) Baldev Singh and others ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 12. RFA No. 1100 of 2007 (O&M) Kartar Singh ..... Appellant vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 13. RFA No. 1101 of 2007 (O&M) Dal Singh and others ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 14. RFA No. 1367 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Gurdial Singh ..... Respondent 15. RFA No. 1368 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Satnam Singh and another ..... Respondents 16. RFA No. 1369 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Baldev Singh and others ..... Respondents 17. RFA No. 1370 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Rajwant Singh and others ..... Respondents 18. RFA No. 1371 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Reshma Devi and others ..... Respondents RFA No. 198 of 2007 -3- 19. RFA No. 1372 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Harpal Kaur and others ..... Respondents 20. RFA No. 1373 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Ranjit Kaur and others ..... Respondents 21. RFA No. 1374 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Kheta Singh and others ..... Respondents 22. RFA No. 1376 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Harbans Singh and another ..... Respondents 23. RFA No. 1377 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Shivraj Singh and others ..... Respondents 24. RFA No. 1378 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Kartar Singh ..... Respondent 25. RFA No. 1379 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Shamsher Singh ..... Respondent 26. RFA No. 1380 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Harpal Kaur and others ..... Respondents 27. RFA No. 1381 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Gurpreet Singh ..... Respondent RFA No. 198 of 2007 -4- 28. RFA No. 1605 of 2007 (O&M) Reshma Devi and others ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 29. RFA No. 1975 of 2007 and Cross-objection No. 41/CI of 2008 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Sat Pal and another ..... Respondents 30. RFA No. 1976 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Bohar Singh and another ..... Respondents 31. RFA No. 1977 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Kikkar Singh and another ..... Respondents 32. RFA No. 1978 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Dal Singh and others ..... Respondents 33. RFA No. 1979 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Bohar Singh and another ..... Respondents 34. RFA No. 1980 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Jeet Singh ..... Respondent 35. RFA No. 1981 of 2007 (O&M) State of Punjab and others ..... Appellants vs Babu Singh and others ..... Respondents 36. RFA No. 2336 of 2007 (O&M) Babu Singh and others ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents RFA No. 198 of 2007 -5- 37. RFA No. 2343 of 2007 (O&M) Kikkar Singh and another ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents 38. RFA No. 3603 of 2007 (O&M) Shivraj Singh and others ..... Appellants vs State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents Coram: Hon'ble Mr. Justice Rajesh Bindal Present: Mr. R. K. Girdhar, Advocate, for the landowners. Mr. Vivek Chauhan, Assistant Advocate General, Punjab. Rajesh Bindal J. This order will dispose of 38 appeals, as the same arise out of common acquisition. RFA Nos. 198 to 203, 205 to 208, 1064, 1100, 1101, 1605, 2336, 2343 and 3603 of 2007 have been filed by the landowners, seeking further enhancement of compensation awarded by the learned court below, whereas RFA Nos. 1367 to 1374, 1376 to 1381, and 1975 to 1981 of 2007 have been filed by the State of Punjab, seeking reduction of compensation. Landowners in RFA No. 1975 of 2007 have filed cross-objections. The facts have been noticed from R. F. A. No. 198 of 2007. Briefly, the facts of the case are that the State of Punjab vide notification dated 24.2.1998 issued under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short, “the Act”) acquired land in the revenue estates of Villages Malout, Bhagwanpura and Sawant Pura for construction of Kuraiwala-Enna Khera-Malout Link drain. The Land Acquisition Collector (for short, “the Collector”) assessed the compensation @ Rs. 4,00,000/- per acre for the land situated in Village Malout and Rs. 3,20,000/- per acre for the land situated in Village Bhagwanpura. Dissatisfied with the award of the Collector, the landowners filed objections. On reference under Section 18 of the Act, learned Reference Court while relying upon its earlier award dated 11.2.2006, Ex. PK, in respect of the land situated at aforesaid villages, assessed the market value of the acquired land @ Rs. 4,00,000/- per acre. It is this award which is under challenge before this court. Learned counsels for the parties do not dispute the fact that the learned Reference Court while determining the amount of compensation payable to RFA No. 198 of 2007 -6- the landowners in the present set of appeals which arise out of acquisition of land for the purpose of construction of Kuraiwala-Enna Khera-Malout Link drain pertaining to Villages Malout and Bhagwanpura had relied upon earlier award dated 11.2.2006, Ex. PK, pertaining to same acquisition of the land belonging to same villages. It is further not in dispute that the landowners as well as the State did not challenge the earlier award relied upon by the learned court below on the basis of which the amount of compensation has been determined and the same attained finality. Once the aforesaid facts are not in dispute and in the present set of appeals reliance is only on the earlier award pertaining to the same acquisition, I do not find any reason to interfere in the impugned award. Accordingly, the appeals and the cross-objections are dismissed. 18.4.2009 ( Rajesh Bindal) vs. Judge