( 1 ) fast23228.10 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23228 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12526 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Babarao Madhav Kadam .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23298 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12528 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Prashant Shivraj Mane .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23264 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12530 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Shankar Madhavrao Kadam .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23307 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12532 OF 2010 ( 2 ) fast23228.10 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Suryakant Kerba Ped .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23312 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12534 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Prashant Laxman Kadam & Ors. .. Respondents WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23290 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12536 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Jagdish Shivraj Mane .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23273 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12538 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Ananda Narsing Kadam .. Respondent WITH ( 3 ) fast23228.10 FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23261 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12540 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Chandrakant Kerba Ped .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23302 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12542 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Madhav Kerba Ped .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23278 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12544 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Dnyandeo Ramnath Kadam & Anr. .. Respondents WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23282 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12546 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus ( 4 ) fast23228.10 Laxman Gyandeo Kadam .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23293 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12548 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Kerba Apparao Ped .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23258 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12550 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Preeti Shivraj Mane .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23286 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12552 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Narsing Dnyandeo Kadam .. Respondent WITH ( 5 ) fast23228.10 FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23269 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12554 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Uttam Madhav Kadam .. Respondent WITH FIRST APPEAL ST. NO. 23316 OF 2010 WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 12556 OF 2010 The State of Maharashtra & Anr. .. Appellants Versus Shivnanda Narsing Kadam .. Respondent Mr. S.N. Kendre, A.G.P. for the appellant/State. CORAM : R.M. BORDE, J. DATED : 01.08.2011 P.C. :­ 1. These are the appeals presented by the State raising exception to the judgment and award passed by the Jt. Civil Judge, Senior Division, Ahmedpur, in Land Acquisition Reference No. 1681 of 2001 and other companion reference applications, decided on 22.12.2006. ( 6 ) fast23228.10 2. The land belonging to the claimants/respondents herein comprising small pieces came to be acquired for construction of Dhaswadi Medium Project at Dhaswadi. The Notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act was issued on 08.02.1996 and after following procedure prescribed under the Land Acqusition Act, the award came to be passed on 07.05.1999. The Land Acquisition Officer offered compensation at the rate of Rs. 280/­ per R. The claimants being dissatisfied with the offer of compensation by the Land Acquisition Officer tendered separate applications seeking reference of the matter to the Civil Court for determination of the market value of the acquired land. The claimants claimed compensation at the rate of Rs. 2 lakhs per acre. 3. In order to substantiate their claim, the claimants have placed reliance on the evidence of witnesses. Apart from oral evidence of the respective claimants, the claimants also placed reliance on the documentary evidence in the form of comparable sale instances placed on record. There are sale instances placed on record at Exh. 22 and 23 in respect ( 7 ) fast23228.10 of transaction of 67 R agricultural land for consideration of Rs. 60,000/­ on 17.03.1994. The lands covered by the sale instance are situated in the same village and according to them the lands are adjoining to the agricultural lands under acquisition. Considering the evidence in the form of comparable sale instances and after consideration of certain positive factors, the Reference Court scaled down the compensation for arriving at appropriate price. The sale instances placed on record shows market price of land approximately at the rate of Rs. 900/­ per R. The Reference Court for the purpose of determining the value of land, scaled down the amount of amount of compensation at Rs. 840/­ per R. 4. On perusal of judgment and award passed by the Reference Court and on scrutinizing the copies of evidence made available by the learned A.G.P. while arguing the appeals, I am convinced that the view adopted by the Reference Court is reasonable and proper and does not call for interference. The appeals presented by the State are devoid of merit and stand dismissed. ( 8 ) fast23228.10 5. All pending Civil Applications stand disposed of. [R.M. BORDE, J.] snk/2011/AUG11/fast23228.10