WP(C) 2914/2009 BEFORE HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE B.P. KATAKEY Heard Mr. Sarma, learned counsel for the petitioner as well as Mr. Talukdar, lea rned Additional Senior Government Advocate appearing for all the respondents. The grievance of the petitioner in the present petition is that though the land belonging to the members of the petitioner’s Samittee has been acquired by the C ollector under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (in short, the Act ), there is a move to pay the compensation for acquisition of such land to p erson other than the persons interested, as some other persons, who have no inte rest in the land are claiming compensation. The petitioner, therefore, prays fo r a direction to the Collector to pay the compensation under the provisions of t he said Act to the persons interested only. Mr. Talukdar, learned Additional Senior Government Advocate appearing for the re spondents including the Collector has submitted that such apprehension of the pe titioner is unfounded, as the Collector, under the provisions of the Act is requ ired to pay the compensation to the persons interested only and not to any other person and as such whatever compensation is due and payable shall be paid to th e persons interested only. Section 11 of the said Act requires the Collector to make an enquiry into the ob jections, if any, which any person interested has filed pursuant to the notice i ssued under Section 9, relating to the measurement made under Section 8 and into the value of the land and into the respective interests of the persons claiming compensation and thereafter, to pass award. Sub-Section (2) of Section 12 of th e aforesaid Act requires the Collector to issue notice of his award to such pers ons interested as are not present personally or by their representatives when th e award is made. The provisions of the Act, therefore, require disbursement of the award passed to the persons interested only. Sub-Section (1) of Section 18 of the Act further provides that if any person int erested, who has not accepted the award, is not satisfied relating to the measur ement of the land, the amount of compensation, the persons to whom it is payable or the apportionment of the compensation among the persons interested, he may f ile application before the Collector seeking reference of such dispute to the Co urt. Sub-Section (2) of Section 18 of the Act provides the period of limitation within which such application is to be made. That being the position, the Collector is required to pay the compensation to su ch persons, who according to the Collector are the persons interested and accord ingly to receive the compensation. In case, any person interested is aggrieved by such action on the part of the Collector, he has to file the application as r equired under Section 18(1) of the Act for reference of the dispute. The members of the petitioner’s Samittee would, therefore, have the right to fil e such application under Section 18(1) of the Act, if they are not satisfied abo ut the persons to whom the compensation is payable according to the Collector. It is the contention of the petitioner that no award as required under Section 1 1 of the Act has been passed by the Collector as yet. That being the position, the members of the petitioner’s Samittee may approach t he Collector for release of the amount and in that event the Collector shall def initely make an enquiry as to whether they are entitled to receive such amount, provided such enquiry has not already been made and no order has been passed in that regard already. It is also open to the members of the petitioner’s Samitte e to take such other legal recourse as available to them under the provisions of the said Act, if they are still aggrieved by the order that may be passed by th e Collector. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of. No costs.