IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.11706 of 2011 1. Md.Rasul Bux S/O S.K. Dasibullah R/O Mohalla -Ujani (Nagar Panchayat Naugachhia) P.O. - Maniya More, P.S. - Naugachhia, Distt. - Bhagalpur. 2. Sukdeo Mistri @ Sukhdeo Mistri S/O Late Khantal Mistry R/O Mohalla - Ujani (Nagar Panchayat Naugachhia) P.O. - Maniya More, P.S. - Naugachhia, Distt. -Bhagalpur. ---Petitioners. Versus 1. The State Of Bihar Through Secretary Land Revenue Depart., Old Secretariat, Patna. 2. The Director, Land Acquisition, Government Of Bihar, Patna. 3. The Collector Bhagalpur. 4. The Special Land Acquisition Officer, Koshi Project, Saharsa. 5. The Sub - Divisional Officer, Naugachhiya. 6. The Chief Engineer, Flood Control, Water Resources Depart., Bhagalpur. 7. The Superintending Engineer, Water Resources Depart., Bhagalpur. 8. The Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department, Naugachhiya. ---Respondent. ---------------------------------- 08 20.12.2011 Nobody appears on behalf of the petitioners. Learned counsel for the State is present. Petitioners seek a direction to grant compensation at the market rate of the lands belonging to the petitioners in Mouza- Manoharpur Kalidas and Pratap Nagar within Nagar Panchayat Naugachhiya which were acquired for construction of Trimuhani Kursaila embankment. Learned counsel for the State points out that the possession was taken in the year 1982 inasmuch as notification, under Section 12(2) of the Land Acquisition Act, was also issued more than two decades earlier. The present application has been lodged in this Court on 19.07.2011. On going through the pleadings on record, in my view, petitioners are raising a stale claim and the application is, thus, fit to be dismissed on the ground of gross delay and latches. The application is dismissed. However, dismissal of this application shall not preclude the petitioners from ventilating their grievance before the appropriate authority in accordance with law. Sym ( Kishore K. Mandal, J.)