IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PIUS C.KURIAKOSE & THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE K.HARILAL WEDNESDAY, THE 23RD NOVEMBER 2011 / 2ND AGRAHAYANA 1933 LA.App..No. 936 of 2010(D) --------------------------------------- LAR.NO.314/2002 of PRINCIPAL SUB COURT,ALAPPUZHA .................... APPELLANT(S)/RESPONDENTS IN LAR ----------------------------------------------------------- 1. THE STATE OF KERALA, REPRESENTED BY THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR, ALAPPUZHA. 2. THE DEPUTY CHIEF ENGINEER, CONSTRUCTION, RAILWAYS, ERNAKULAM. BY SR GOVERNMENT PLEADER SRI.C.R.SHYAMKUMAR RESPONDENT(S): CLAIMANTS IN LAR: --------------------------------------------------------- 1. N.PARVATHI AMMA, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 2. PADMAKSHI AMMA, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 3. GOPALAKRISHNAN NAIR, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 4. SREEKUMARAN NAIR, MEENATHU KIZHAKKETHIL KARUVATTA VADAKKUM MURI, KARUVATTA VILLAGE. 5. GOPAKUMAR, REPRESENTED BY POWER OF ATTORNEY HOLDER K.CHELAPPAN NAIR OF VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 6. SASIKUMAR, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 7. VIJAYAKUMARAN NAIR, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 2/- -2- L.A.A.NO.936/2010 8. C.PADMAJA, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 9. C.BINDU, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 10. P.PADMAKUMARI AMMA OF MANSEETIL, KARUVATTA THEKKUM MURI, KARUVATTA VILLAGE. 11. MANOJ, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 12. P.MANJU, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 13. P.KARTHIKAKUTTY, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 14. PRASANNAKUMARI, PULIPRA HOUSE, KARUVATTA VADAKKUMMURI, KARUVATTA VILLAGE. 15. P.PADMA DEVI AMMA, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. 16. SIMI P.NAIR, SOUPARNIKA MUTHUKULAM THEKKU, VARAMPALIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA VILLAGE. 17. SEEMA P.NAIR, VARAMPILIL PULIPRA VEEDU, KARUVATTA. R2 TO R17 BY ADV. SMT.R.RANJINI THIS LAND ACQUISITION APPEAL HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 23/11/2011,THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: sts PIUS C.KURIAKOSE & K.HARILAL,JJ ------------------------------------------------- L.A.A No.936 of 2010 -------------------------------------------------- Dated this the 23rd day of November, 2011 J U D G M E N T Pius C. Kuriakose, J The appeal need not be treated as defective as the 1st respondent was already and dead and her legal heirs are already on record before the reference court. This appeal by the Government pertains to acquisition of different types of land in Karuvatta Village for the purpose of the Railway. For the dry land the Land Acquisition Officer has awarded Rs.5,253/- per Are. For reclaimed land he awarded Rs.3940/- per Are and for wet lands he awarded value at the rate of Rs.290/- per Are. Even at the time of admission this Court became convinced that the enhancement granted by the reference court for dry and re- claimed lands is quite reasonable. The appeal was admitted only in respect of the enhancement of value of wet land from Rs.290/- per Are to Rs.2,000/- per Are. Having considered the rival submissions addressed at the Bar, we are convinced that the enhancement granted in respect of wet lands is disproportionately high. At the same time we take into account L.A.A No.936 of 2010 2 that the total extent of wet lands involved is minimal. Under these circumstances we are inclined to reduce the wet land on the minimal. We re-fix the wet lands at Rs.1,500/- per Are. Sri.C.R.Shyam Kumar the learned Senior Government Pleader pointed out that the Court below has awarded exorbitant increase towards the value of the building which existed on the property. Having gone through the impugned judgment we also feel that the submission is justified. But we do not find any ground raised the appeal memo regarding the enhancement granted in respect of the building. In the absence of ground we are not inclined to uphold the submissions. The appeal is allowed to the limited extent of re-fixing the value of the wet lands at Rs.1,500/- per Are. The parties are directed to suffer their respective costs. PIUS C. KURIAKOSE JUDGE K.HARILAL JUDGE ab L.A.A No.936 of 2010 3