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Supreme Court of India

BALARPUR INDUSTRIES LTD.versusSTATE OF GUJARAT AND ORS.

Citation
1996 INSC 1377
Decided
22 November 1996
Disposal
Disposed off

Holding

The acquisition is valid and need not be interfered with, as the respondent’s undertaking to provide necessary ingress and egress satisfies the grievance.

Summary

Balarpur Industries Ltd. sought to quash a notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 that acquired land needed for a public purpose, contending that the acquisition would block ingress and egress to its factory. The respondents, including the acquiring authority and a fourth respondent who would benefit from the acquisition, filed a counter‑affidavit in which the fourth respondent undertook to close the existing road only after constructing a new road on the boundary of the acquired land and connecting it to the existing road to ensure access. The Supreme Court noted that this undertaking removed the alleged hardship and that the acquisition could proceed subject to the promise. The Court also directed that telephone and electricity lines be shifted to the new road as part of the undertaking. Consequently, the Court found no ground to interfere with the acquisition and dismissed the appeal.

Issues considered

  • Whether the acquisition under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 can be set aside on the ground that it blocks ingress and egress to the appellant’s factory
  • Whether an undertaking by the acquiring authority to provide alternate access suffices to validate the acquisition

Legislation cited

Subjects

Land Acquisition ActSection 4(1)Ingress and EgressPublic PurposeIndustrial FactoryUndertakingAcquisition NotificationSupreme Court of India

Judgment

A                        BALARPUR INDUSTRIES LTD.
                                    v.
                        STATE OF GUJARAT AND ORS.

                               NOVEMBER 22, 1996

B                [K. RAMASWAMY AND G.B. PATTANAIK, JJ.]

            Land Acquisition Act, 1894 :

          S. 4( 1}-Acquisition of land--<:hallenged on the ground that as a result
C   of acquisition ingress and egress to the factory would be blocked-Held, on
    the undertaking given that ingress and egress to the factory would not be
    stopped, there is no need to inteifere with the acquisition.

            CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 15522 of
    1996.
D        From the Judgment and Order dated 15.4.96 of the Gujarat High
    Court in SCA. No. 8179 of 1995.

            Ms. Indu Malhotra for the Appellant.

E         Y. Adhyaru, Ms. Neetu Singh and Ms. H. Wahl for the Respondent
    Nos. 1-3.

            A.K. Gupta for the Respondent No. 4.

            The following Order of the Court was delivered :

F           Leave granted. We have heard learned counsel on both sides.

          This appeal by by special leave arises from the order of the Division
    Bench of the Gujarat High Court, dated April 15, 1996 made in Special
    Civil Application No. 8179 of 1995. Learned counsel for the appellant has
    challenged the validity of the notification issued under Section 4(1) of the
G   Land Acquisition Act, 1894 acquiring the land on the ground that the lands
    were needed for public purpose and it blocked ingress and egress to their
    factory. In view of the admission made by the respondent in the counter-
    affidavit filed in the High Court, notice was issued to the respondents as
    indicated in our order dated 2.9.1996. In furtherance thereof, the acquiring
H   authority in the counter- affidavit has admitted the same. The beneficiary,
                                         156
                     BALARPURINDS. LID. v. STATE                         157
namely, Respondent No. 4 on whose behalf acquisition is sought to be           A
made in their counter-affidavit, has admitted thus :

         "This respondent submits that it stands by its said commitment and
         assures this Hon'ble Court that it would close the existing road
         passing through the acquired land only after it has constructed a
         new road on the boundary of the acquired land and connected to        B
         the existing road for necessary ingress and egress to the
         petitioner's factory."

       In view of this admission and undertaking given by the 4th respon-
dent to provide for necessary ingress and egress to the appellant's faciory, C
there is no need to interfere with the acquisition as it is subject to the above
undertaking. Ms. Indu Malhotra, learned counsel appearing for the appel-
lant, submits that telephone lines and electrical energy lines etc. to the
appellant's factory also are required to be shifted from the existing road to
the new road. We direct that this should also be done as part of the
undertaking given by the respondent.                                             D
       The appeal is accordingly disposed of. No costs.

R.P.                                                    Appeal disposed of.


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