IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA RFA No.286 of 2005. Date of Decision: 9th November, 2011. _______________________________________________________ State of Himachal Pradesh and another .. Appellants. Versus Puni Chand and another .. Respondents. Coram Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surinder Singh, J. Whether approved for reporting1? For the appellants : Mr. P.M. Negi, Deputy Advocate General. For the respondents : Mr. Ramakant Sharma, Advocate. SURINDER SINGH, J (Oral). The State felt aggrieved by the impugned award passed by the learned Reference Court (Additional District Judge, Presiding Officer Fast Track Court, Solan), in Case No.70/4 of 2004/2003, decided on 5.3.2005, whereby the reference petition filed by the respondents was allowed alongwith other connected petitions whereby it held the respondents entitled to compensation at the rate of `1,50,000/- per bigha irrespective of classification of the land, in addition to the following statutory interest: Whether reporters of the Local papers are allowed to see the judgment? - 2 - (i) additional acquisition charges @ 12% per annum from the date of notification, i.e., 7.2.1995 till the date of award, 9.4.1997; (ii) Solatium @ 30% of the market value; and (iii) Interest @ 9% per annum on the total market value from the date of notification, i.e., 7.2.1995 till expiry of one year and thereafter @ 15% per annum till payment/deposit in the Court. The impugned award was based upon the award Ext.P3 in respect of the land acquired in village Anji for the construction of Kumar-Hatti-Ochghat road, passed by the learned Refernece Court in connected matter with respect to the land acquired for the same purpose, i.e., construction of road. 2. Undisputedly, villages Anji, Rampur and Sultanpur are located adjacent to each other. The appellants herein challenged Ext.P3 by filing appeals in the High Court in RFA Nos. 162, 163, 164 of 2004 and 199 of 2004 and other connected matters which were disposed of by a detailed judgment dated 20.8.2007 reducing the award to `1,33,330/- per bigha instead of `1,50,000/- per bigha as awarded by the Reference Court. 3. Since Ext. P3 award was made basis to assess the value of the land involved in the present appeal - 3 - which was modified as aforesaid, thus, the instant appeal is also disposed of in view the judgment passed in the aforesaid RFAs. 4. Therefore, the respondents/claimants shall be entitled for Rs. 1,33,330/- per bighas irrespective of classification of land with statutory interest and the claimants shall also be entitled to all the benefits in view of law laid down by the Apex Court in Sunder v. Union of India reported in (2001) 7 SCC 211. 5. In result, the award of the learned Reference Court is modified to the above extent. The appeal stands disposed of in the above terms. November 9, 2011. (Surinder Singh), (rc) Judge.