RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) Date of decision: 9.11.2011 State of Haryana through LAC, (Urban Estate), Panchkula ......Appellant(s) Versus Smt. Satish Devi w/o Shri Kamal Bagga ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6529 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Dharam Pal son of Sh. Baij Nath ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6530 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana and others ......Appellant(s) Versus Krishna Rani w/o Sh. Arjun Dass ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6531 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Sudesh wife of Vinod Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6532 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ranjit Singh and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 2 RFA No.6533 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Gurcharan Singh and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6534 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ram Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6535 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Yatinder Pal Aggarwal ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6536 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Anil Kumar Puri and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6537 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Shambu Ram ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6538 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Balwant Singh ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 3 RFA No.6539 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Rajinder Chhabra ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6540 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Rajinder Kaur ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6541 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Kamlesh Rani Malhotra ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6542 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Mukesh Kumar and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6543 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Vinod Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6544 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Balbir Singh ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 4 RFA No.6545 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Rahul Aggarwal ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6546 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Manmohan Lal and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6547 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Balwant Yadav and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6548 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Smt.Rama Rani Sood ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6549 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana and others ......Appellant(s) Versus Subhash Chand ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6550 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ram Singh and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6551 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana and others ......Appellant(s) Versus Kuldeep Singh ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 5 RFA No.6552 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Smt.Shail Attrey ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6553 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Girdhari Lal Dutta ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6554 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ram Singh and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6555 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Krishan Lal Mehandiratta and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6556 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Jatinder Pal @ Jatinder Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6557 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana and others ......Appellant(s) Versus Jagdish Kumar Dhameja ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6558 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Surinder Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 6 RFA No.6559 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Kewal Krishan @ Kewal Krishan Gumber and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6560 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ram Pal ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6561 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ramesh Dutt and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6562 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ram Lubaya Duggal ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6563 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Mohinder Pal Gupta ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6564 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Jatinder Likhi and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6565 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Naveen Sharma ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 7 RFA No.6566 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Rahul and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6567 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Om Parkash and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6568 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Harnail Singh and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6569 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Smt. Jaswant Kaur ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6570 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Gursaran Singh and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6571 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Jatinder Aggarwal and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6572 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Raghubir Singh and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 8 RFA No.6573 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ramesh Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6574 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana and others ......Appellant(s) Versus Sukh Pal Chopra ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6575 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana and others ......Appellant(s) Versus Krishan Lal Dhameja ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6576 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Virender Aggarwal and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6577 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Santosh Kumari and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6578 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Vishnu Aggarwal ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6579 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Surinder Mohan Sharma and anr. .....Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 9 RFA No.6580 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Sh. Kamal Bagga ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6581 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Brij Nath and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6582 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Satpal ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6583 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Smt. Manju Ramdey ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6584 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Sewa Ram Gaba ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6585 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Gurjeet Singh ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6586 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Smt. Chander Kanta ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 10 RFA No.6587 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Om Parkash Kapoor and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6588 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Smt. Shalini ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6589 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Smt. Roshni Jain ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6590 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Rajesh Kumar Garg ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6591 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Pritam Singh Narang ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6592 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Sh.Rajesh Bhardwaj ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 11 RFA No.6593 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Om Kumar and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6594 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Sh.Ashok Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6595 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Santosh Rani ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6596 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Rahul and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6597 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Shobha Ahuja ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6598 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Balwant Kaur ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6599 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Kuldeep Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 12 RFA No.6600 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana . ......Appellant(s) Versus Shiv Kumar Gupta ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6601 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana etc. ......Appellant(s) Versus Kishan Singh ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6602 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Vijay Kumar Verma ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6603 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Om Parkash ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6604 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ranjit Singh and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6605 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Gurbachan Singh ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6606 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Rakesh Kant Tiwari ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 13 RFA No.6607 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Sushil Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6608 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Smt.Sarla Gupta ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6609 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Birbal Narang ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6610 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana and others ......Appellant(s) Versus Vinod Kumar Sethi ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6611 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Ram Raksh Pal and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6612 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Manmohan and anr. ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6613 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Vishal and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 14 RFA No.6614 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Shakuntla and others .....Respondent(s) RFA No.6615 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Rajinder Singh and others ......Respondent(s) RFA No.6616 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Sandeep Kumar Garg ......Respondent(s) RFA No.7081 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Amit Kumar ......Respondent(s) RFA No.7101 of 2011 (O&M) State of Haryana ......Appellant(s) Versus Jatinder Kishan Jyotshi ......Respondent(s) CORAM:- HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE RAKESH KUMAR GARG * * * Present: Mr. Hitinder Singh Lalli, Additional Advocate General, Haryana Rakesh Kumar Garg, J.(Oral) This bunch of 91 appeals is a classic case of ignoring the RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 15 judgments of this Court and also the casual and negligent approach of the State officials in defending the State cases and a sheer wastage of public money by the officers who have decided to file these appeals. These appeals have been preferred on behalf of the State of Haryana challenging the award of the Reference Court whereby market value of the acquired land in question has been determined at Rs.327/- per sq.yard for the land upto the depth of one acre adjoining to the G.T. Road whereas value of the remaining land has been fixed at Rs.297/- per sq.yard. It may also be noticed that there is a delay of 88 days in filing these appeals. A perusal of the averments made in each of the appeals shows that a proforma has been prepared for making the applications for condonation of delay and only the blank spaces have been filled in regarding the period of delay. The only reason to explain the delay caused in filing these appeal is that there is an acute shortage of staff and load of work in the office and thus, due to administrative exigencies which were beyond the control of the Department, delay has occurred. However, no effort has been made by the appellants to explain that what were those administrative exigencies which were beyond the control of the Department. Neither any detail of shortage of staff and load of work has been explained. This Court on earlier occasions also has noticed that in most of the State appeals wherever the application for condonation of delay is filed, it is averred that the delay has occurred due to administrative exigencies. This Court in RFA No.4218 of 2011 and other connected appeals filed on behalf of the State of Haryana, decided on 23.8.2011, wherein also prayer for condoning the delay was made on the ground of administrative exigencies, have found that the attitude of the officials of the RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 16 State of Haryana in defending the State cases is very casual. In fact in the aforesaid cases, an explanation of the Director Urban and Financial Commissioner–cum Secretary, Urban Estate, Haryana was also sought. However, no such explanation was filed on behalf of the said office in pursuance of the aforesaid order and finding that the Department had failed to explain the administrative exigencies causing the delay in filing the appeals, the same were dismissed as time barred. Similar averments made in a bunch of appeals titled as “State of Haryana v. Hukum Chand and others” and other connected appeals i.e. RFA No.4649 of 2011 decided on 16.9.2011 again noticing the verbatim grounds, this Court had rejected the plea of condonation of delay on the ground of administrative exigencies. In spite of the fact that this Court has taken a view that administrative exigencies cannot be a ground to condone the delay, the instant appeals have been filed taking those very grounds. Not only this, it is also relevant to mention at this stage that in para No.5 of the said application for condonation of delay, it has been specifically averred that the office of Legal Remembrancer, Haryana, vide his office memo dated 18.5.2011 has issued necessary instructions to the Office of Advocate General, Haryana to file appeals against the impugned award. However, a perusal of the aforesaid memo would show that the said letter has been issued on behalf of the Law Secretary-cum-Legal Remembrancer to Govt. , Haryana in anticipation of Government sanction. No such copy/letter of the Government sanctioning to file these appeals have been placed before this Court. It may also be noticed that the impugned award has been passed on the basis of an earlier award of the Reference Court dated 24.1.2011 (Ex.PX) titled as Dilbag Singh versus State of Haryana and the RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 17 same has also become final between the parties. Not only this, in fact a specific averment has been made in the grounds of appeal to this effect which reads thus: “That in this case, market value of the acquired land has been assessed by the Ld. Reference Court by relying upon earlier award dated 24.1.11 (Ex.PX) passed in a case titled as Dilbag Singh Vs. State of Haryana. Against the above mentioned award no RFA has been filed by the State of Haryana.” Keeping in view the aforesaid averment made in the grounds of appeal, learned State counsel appearing on behalf of the State was at a loss to explain the justification of filing these appeals challenging the impugned award. Even this Court, in RFA No.6413 of 2011 titled as “State of Haryana versus Padma Devi @ Padma Shori” decided on 17.10.2011 has relied upon the aforesaid award Ex.PX and has upheld the ground of determination of market value at Rs.297/- per sq.yard for the land adjoining to village Shahpur which is beyond the depth of one acre abutting the main G.T. Road. In this view of the matter, this Court finds no merit in these appeals as well as applications for condonation of delay and the same are hereby dismissed with costs which are assessed at Rs.10,000/- each. The State shall be at liberty to recover the aforesaid costs from the officers who are responsible for filing these appeals without keeping in view the facts and circumstances the case. Let the costs be deposited within two months from today with the Haryana State Legal Services Authority failing which the aforesaid Authority shall be entitled to recover the said amount as arrears of land revenue. RFA No.6528 of 2011 (O&M) 18 Compliance of payment of costs be reported to this Court. The State Government shall also be entitled to recover the expenses incurred for filing these appeals after fixing the responsibility of the persons who are responsible for the same. November 9, 2011 (RAKESH KUMAR GARG) ps JUDGE