Patna High Court
Ravishankar ThakurversusState of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- PURNENDU SINGH
Holding
The Court directed the District Land Acquisition Officer to consider the petitioner's representation and pay the required compensation in accordance with law within six weeks.
Summary
Petitioner Ravishankar Thakur filed a writ petition seeking a mandamus directing the District Land Acquisition Officer (DLAO) to pay fair compensation at commercial rates for his land acquired by the State of Bihar under a perpetual lease. He had already submitted a representation to the DLAO, but no action was taken to adjust the award in line with prevailing market values. The Court noted the petitioner's grievance and ordered the DLAO to consider the representation and ensure payment of the appropriate compensation within six weeks of the order. The direction was intended to prevent further harassment of the petitioner. The writ petition was subsequently disposed of.
Issues considered
- What relief, if any, can be granted by a writ of mandamus to compel the DLAO to pay compensation at commercial rates for land acquired under a perpetual lease?
Subjects
- land acquisition
- compensation
- mandamus
- perpetual lease
- District Land Acquisition Officer
- commercial rate
- Bihar
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.2660 of 2026
======================================================
Ravishankar Thakur Son of Sita Ram Thakur, Resident of Village-
Hathiyarwa, P.S. and Anchal-Benipatti, District-Madhubani, at present
resident of Village-Simarkon, Basaitha, District-Madhubani, Bihar-847102.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
1. State of Bihar through its Principal Secretary, Rural Work Department, Govt.
of Bihar, Patna.
2. Secretary, Rural Works Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.
3. The District Magistrate, Madhubani.
4. District Land Acquisition Officer, Madhubani.
5. Executive Engineer, Rural Works Department, Benipatti, District-
Madhubani.
... ... Respondent/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Abhineet, Advocate
For the Respondent/s : Mr. Rajat Kumar Tiwary, AC to SC 24
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PURNENDU SINGH
ORAL ORDER
2 19-02-2026 Heard Mr. Abhineet, learned counsel appearing on
behalf of the petitioner and Mr. Rajat Kumar Tiwary, learned
AC to SC 24 for the State.
2. Petitioner has inter alia prayed for following reliefs
in the paragraphs No.1 of the writ petition:-
“That this is an application praying for issuance
of a writ in the nature of Writ of Mandamus or any other
appropriate writ, order or direction of this Hon’ble Court
commanding the respondent authorities, specially
respondent no.4 to make payment of the fair compensation
at commercial rate to the petitioner, in lieu of his land,
situated at Mauja- Chanapur, Thana-Benipatti, bearing
Khata no.208, plot-206 and Khata No.207, Plot-210
measuring 2.2 decimal, being acquired by the respondent
authorities by way of perpetual lease.”
3. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of petitioner
Patna High Court CWJC No.2660 of 2026(2) dt.19-02-2026
2/2
submitted that for the relief, as prayed for in the present writ
petition, the petitioner has already filed representation before
the District Land Acquisition Officer, Madhubani, but he has
not taken any action for correcting the amount of Award as per
the prevailing MVR applicable in the vicinity, where the
petitioner’s land has been acquired.
4. Considering the aforesaid submission made on
behalf of the petitioner, the District Land Acquisition Officer,
Madhubani is directed to consider and dispose of the
representation of the petitioner by ensuring payment of required
compensation amount to the petitioner in accordance with law,
well within a period of six weeks from the date of
communication of this order, so that the petitioner may not be
harassed.
5. The writ petition is disposed of.
(Purnendu Singh, J)
Sanjay/-
U
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