Bombay High Court
FATRUSAB ISMAILSAB (DIED) THR LRS. GORIBI FATRUSAB AND OTHERSversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH DISTRICT COLLECTOR, NANDED AND OTHERS
- Disposal
- PARTLY ALLOWED AND PARTLY DISMISSED
Holding
The appeal is partly allowed and compensation is fixed at Rs 2,723 per R for the non‑irrigated land, with statutory benefits and interest under Section 34 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
Summary
The appellants, owners of 1 H 34 R of agricultural land in Rawangaon, were compensated at Rs 67,104 per hectare for a compulsory acquisition for the Lendi Project. After filing a Land Acquisition Reference, the reference court enhanced the rate to Rs 82,104 per hectare, which the appellants again contested. Relying on earlier judgments that fixed a uniform rate of Rs 2,723 per R for non‑irrigated land, the appellants argued for parity and sought further enhancement. The High Court, applying the principle of parity and citing the full‑bench decision in State of Maharashtra v. Kailas Shiva Rangari, partially allowed the appeal and fixed compensation at Rs 2,723 per R, granting all statutory benefits and interest under Section 34 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The court also ordered the acquiring authority to deposit the enhanced amount within six months and limited statutory benefits for any condoned delay.
Issues considered
- Whether the appellants are entitled to an enhanced compensation rate based on parity with rates fixed in earlier land‑acquisition cases.
- Whether statutory benefits and interest under Section 34 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, apply to the enhanced compensation.
- Whether the earlier award can be modified on appeal in light of the cited precedents.
Legislation cited
- Land Acquisition Act, 1894 — s. 34
Subjects
- land acquisition
- compensation enhancement
- parity principle
- statutory benefits
- interest under Section 34
- public purpose
- Lendi Project
Judgment
2026:BHC-AUG:40591
FA.1586.2023.odt
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
FIRST APPEAL NO.1586 OF 2023
Fatrusab s/o. Ismailsab (Died),
Through L.Rs.
1/1 Goribi w/o. Fatrusab
and others ..Appellants
Vs.
The State of Maharashtra,
Through District Collector, Nanded
and others ..Respondents
----
Mr.Shubham M. Kakde, Advocate for appellants
Mr.S.P.Sonpavale, AGP for respondent nos.1 and 2
Mr.S.B.Patiil, Advocate for respondent no.3
----
CORAM : AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, J.
DATE : SEPTEMBER 01, 2026
ORDER :-
Feeling aggrieved by the judgment and award dated
09.04.2009 passed by learned Civil Judge, Senior Division, Kandhar,
Dist. Nanded, in L.A.R. (New) No.32 of 2007/L.A.R. (Old) No.20/2006 the
claimants is before this court.
2. At the request of Mr.Shubham Kakde, learned advocate for
the appellants the First Appeal is taken up for final disposal at
admission stage. The appellants are owner of agricultural land
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admeasuring 1 H 34 R situated at Village Rawangaon, Tahsil Mukhed,
Dist. Nanded. The said land is acquired by respondent nos.2 and 3
for a public purpose namely Lendi Project. It was a compulsory
acquisition for the purpose of submergence area for said Lendi
Project. The entire procedure for land acquisition was conducted as
per the Land Acquisition Act. The compensation was awarded at the
rate of Rs.67,104 per hectare.
3. Feeling aggrieved by the deficit compensation, the
appellants lodged Land Acquisition Reference before the reference
court. After hearing the parties and scrutinising the evidence,
compensation was granted to the appellants enhancing rate to
Rs.82,104 per hectare. Feeling aggrieved thereby, present appeal is
filed by the claimants.
4. The appeal is pressed for final disposal citing an order
dated 14.08.2026 passed by this court in First Appeal
No.3206 of 2009 (Anwaribegum Asifoddin Patel Vs. State of
Maharashtra and others). Mr.Kakade, learned advocate for the
appellants submits that the cited matter also arises out of the same
land acquisition proceedings which is the subject-matter of present
appeal. It is further submitted that placing reliance on earlier order
dated 18.06.2026 passed by this court in First Appeal No.3676 of
3 FA.1586.2023
2008 and connected matters, this court granted enhancement to
those appellants fixing the rate as follows:-
Non-Irrigated Land Irrigated Land Semi-Irrigated Land
Rs.2,723/- per R Rs.5,446 Per R Rs.4,084 per R
5. It is further submitted that in the cited matter, for the
part of interest reliance is placed on the judgment rendered by the
full bench of this court in the case of State of Maharashtra Vs.
Kailas Shiva Rangari, 2016(4) All MR 513.
6. Mr.Kakade, learned advocate submits that the appellants’
land is dry land and hence on the principle of parity, enhancement
may be granted at the rate of Rs.2,723 per R, as is ordered in
Anwaribegum Asifoddin Patel (supra).
7. Mr.S.B.Patil, learned advocate for respondent no.3 fairly
agrees with the submissions made by Mr.Kakade, learned advocate
for the appellants. He would not dispute that the subject-matter
land of the present appellants is not different from the land for which
this court had fixed rates by the cited order. As such, he submits
that the First Appeal may be disposed of in terms of the cited order.
4 FA.1586.2023
8. In view the above, I have no hesitation to allow the
appeal partly. Hence, I pass the following order:-
ORDER
I. The First Appeal is partly allowed.
II. The judgment and award dated 09.04.2009 passed by
learned Civil Judge, Senior Division, Kandhar, Dist. Nanded, in L.A.R.
(New) No.32 of 2007/L.A.R. (Old) No.20/2006 is modified to the
following extent.
III. The appellants-claimants shall be entitled to
compensation at the rate of Rs.2,723/- per R for non-irrigated land
admeasuring 1 H 34 R situated at Village Rawangaon, Tahsil Mukhed,
Dist. Nanded.
IV. The appellants-claimants shall be entitled to all
consequential statutory benefits on the enhanced compensation in
accordance with the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
V. The appellants - claimants shall be entitled to interest
under Section 34 of the Act, strictly in accordance with the Full
Bench decision in State of Maharashtra vs. Kailas Shiva
Rangari, (supra).
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VI. The appellants - claimants shall not be entitled to
statutory benefits for the period of delay, if any, condoned by this
Court.
VII. The appellants - claimants shall deposit the deficit court
fees, if any, within a period of four weeks from today.
VIII. The rest of the Judgment and Award passed by the
learned Reference Court stands confirmed.
IX. The acquiring body shall deposit the amount of enhanced
compensation in this court within a period of six months from today.
Upon such deposit, the appellants are permitted to withdraw such
amount without making any separate Civil Application.
X The modified Award be drawn accordingly.
[AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, J.]
………..
KBP
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