ash 1 fa-82.99 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELATE JURISDICTION FIRST APPEAL NO.82 OF 1999 The State of Maharashtra. .. Appellant Vs Shri Pannalal Motilal Munot, Since deceased through his legal heirs:- 1A. Smt. Rambhabai Pannalal Munot & Ors. .. Respondents -- Shri A.R. Patil, AGP for the Appellant. -- CORAM ; A.S. OKA, J DATED : 14TH MARCH, 2011 ORAL JUDGMENT: . Heard learned AGP for the Appellant. The challenge in this Appeal is to the judgment and award dated 30th December, 1997 passed by the learned District Judge, Raigad at Alibag in a Reference under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 ( hereinafter referred to as “the said Act”). 2. The acquisition relates to the land bearing Survey No.801 Hissa No.1 admeasuring 6,400 sq. metres at village Panvel,, Taluka Panvel, District Raigad. The Notification under Section 4(1) of the said Act was issued on 3rd February, 1970 by the State Government by which ash 2 fa-82.99 the land was notified for acquisition for the public purpose of setting up satellite city of New Bombay. The award under Section 11 of the said Act was made in the year 1986. The Special Land Acquisition Officer offered the market value at the rate of Rs.2.70/- per sq. metre. By the impugned award, the market value has been enhanced to Rs.15/- per sq. metre. 3. After having heard the learned AGP for the Appellant and after perusing the judgment, I find that no case is made out for interference. 4. A Division Bench of this Court dealt with several Appeals arising out of the lands situated at Village Panvels and Kamothe , Taluka Panvel, District- Raigad, which were notified on the same day for the same public purpose. The judgment of this Court in the said group of Appeals decided by the Division Bench in the case of State of Maharashtra v Prakash Vasudeo Deodhar, (2008) 5 BCR 708) followed the belting method which was earlier followed by this Court for the purposes of fixing the market value of the acquired lands in villages Panvel and Kamothe. In case of lands falling within the distance of 750 to 1500 metres of the Bombay-Pune National Highway, the market value was fixed at Rs.23/- per sq. metre. ash 3 fa-82.99 5. In the present case, the Respondents (claimants) examined Shri Manohar Gopal Vaidya, an Architect and Valuer, who deposed that the acquired land was within the distance of 1000 metres from the said highway. There is no cross-examination made on this aspect. In case of similarly situated land, the Division Bench fixed the market value at Rs.23/- per sq. metre. In the present case, the market value has been fixed at Rs.15/- per sq. metre. Hence, no case for interference is made out. The Appeal is dismissed with no orders as to costs. ( A.S. OKA, J )