HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE L. NARASIMHA REDDY Writ Petition No.33468 of 2010 ORDER: The petitioners owned an extent of Ac.1.30 cents of land in survey No.51/4 of Nagamangalam Village, Palamaner Mandal, Chittoor District. They are said to have purchased it, in the year 1991, under two separate sale deeds. Together with the other lands, the land owned by the petitioners was acquired by the Government through a notification, dated 02.12.1992, published under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short ‘the Act’), for a public purpose. Notice under Section 12(2) of the Act was served upon the petitioners on 24.04.1997, requiring them to appear before the Land Acquisition Officer i.e. the respondent herein, on 14.04.1997, to receive a sum of Rs.9,956/-, each. The petitioners state that they did not receive the compensation, since it was meager and that in spite of representations made by them, the respondent has not enhanced the compensation. In this background, they challenge the very notification published under Section 4(1) of the Act. Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and Government Pleader for Land Acquisition. The land of the petitioners was acquired way back in the year 1992 and the award was passed in the year 1997. They did not challenge the notification or declaration at the initial stage. The petitioners waited till the award is passed and expressed their dissatisfaction about the amount awarded by the respondent. The only way in which the petitioners could have sought enhancement of compensation, is by seeking reference under Section 18 of the Act. It does not appear that any sustained efforts were made in that direction. May be, at the instance of owners of other bits of land or on a consideration of representation that may have been made by the petitioners, a reference has since been made and it is said to be still pending. If the petitioners are shown as claimants in the O.P., they can pursue the remedy for enhancement of the compensation. On the other hand, if they are not shown as claimants, they can join as parties and put forward their claim in respect of their land. Hence, the writ petition is disposed of, directing that it shall be open to the petitioners to pursue the remedy in the pending O.P., and the Court in which the O.P. is pending shall endeavour to dispose it of within a period of one year from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. There shall be no order as to costs. ____________________ L.NARASIMHA REDDY, J Dt:08.04.2011 GJ