HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE V. ESWARAIAH W.P. No. 27999 of 2005 DATED: 24.02.2011 Between: Pasala Venkata Krishna Rao .. Petitioner And 1. The Special Tahsildar (Land Acquisition) 2. The District Collector 3. The Executive Engineer .. Respondents O R D E R:- The petitioner asserts that he is the owner and possessor of the land of an extent of Ac.0.20 cents in S.No.201/1C, 3B and Ac.0.56 cents in S.No. 201/1A2 situated in Anumanchaipalli village, Jaggaihpet Mandalam, Krishna District. While so, the petitioner states that the 1st respondent-Special Tahsildar (Land Acquisition), without paying any compensation, acquired his lands. Then, the petitioner got issued a legal notice dated 05.08.2004 to the 1st respondent requesting him to pay compensation. Now, the petitioner’s grievance is that the 1st respondent, without fixing or paying suitable compensation for the lands in question, issued proceedings dated 16.08.2004 indicating that the 3rd respondent- Executive Engineer, Special Division, Vijayawada took possession of the lands in question on 24.05.1988 for excavation of channel under Kachavaram supply channel and handed over them to the Requisition Department on 25.07.2000. Hence, the petitioner has filed the present writ petition seeking appropriate directions to the respondents. Respondent Nos.1 and 2 filed counter affidavit stating that an extent of Ac.0.78 cents of land including the lands of the petitioners were acquired by the Government on 24.05.1988 and a Draft Notification under Section 4(1) and Draft Declaration under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short “the Act”) were published on 16.10.1999 and different market values were fixed on two different dates taking into consideration the date of taking over the possession of the lands and a draft Award was prepared on 25.11.2002 and submitted for approval of the Collector. Insofar as the petitioner is concerned, she is entitled to compensation for an extent of Ac.0.56 cents of land only in R.S.No.201/1A2 and the land of an extent of Ac.0.20 cents belongs to two other ryots. It is further stated that after the Draft Award is approved by the Collector, Award will be passed and compensation paid to the petitioner. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner, the learned Government Pleader for Land Acquisition appearing for respondent Nos.1 and 2, the learned Government Pleader for Irrigation appearing for the 3rd respondent and perused the material placed on record. Admittedly, the petitioner’s lands were acquired by the Government on 24.05.1988 even before Draft Notification and Draft Declaration under Section 6 of the Act were published, and the Draft Award was prepared on 25.11.2002 and the same is pending approval by the Collector. In spite of the fact that the Draft Award was prepared on 25.11.2002, there is no justification on the part of the respondents in not passing any Award nor paying suitable compensation to the petitioner so far. However, having regard to the stand taken in the counter affidavit that Award will be passed soon after the Draft Award is approved by the Collector, this Court is inclined to dispose of the writ petition with the following directions: “The respondents are directed to pass the Award, if not already passed, and pay suitable compensation to the petitioner as per her entitlement, within a period of four months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.” Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of. No orders as to costs. ________________ V. ESWARAIAH, J 24.02.2011 bcj