IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NOS.4265­4266 OF 2008

RAJ KUMAR GANDHI  … APPELLANT

VERSUS

CHANDIGARH ADMINISTRATION & ORS.  … RESPONDENTS

WITH

CIVIL    APPEAL NOS.4267­4268 OF 2008 

AVTAR SINGH (D) THR. LRS.       … APPELLANT

VERSUS

UNION TERRITORY OF CHANDIGARH & ANR.  … RESPONDENTS

AND

CIVIL APPEAL NO.6002­6003 OF 2009

KAILASH WATI & ORS.  … APPELLANTS

VERSUS

UNION OF INDIA & ORS.  … RESPONDENTS

J U D G M E N T

ARUN MISHRA, J.

1.The appeals have been filed aggrieved by the judgment and order

passed by the High Court, dismissing the writ petitions filed to question

the land acquisition made with respect to Scheme No.3, Pocket No.8.

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2.A notification under section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894

(for   short,   “the   Act”)   was   issued   on   31.1.1992.   Public   purpose

mentioned was for the development of residential cum commercial

complex in scheme No.3. Declaration under section 6 of the Act was

issued on 29.1.1993. The petitioners filed a writ petition on 28.7.2004

questioning   the   acquisition   as   well   as   the   award   dated   5.3.2003.

According to the petitioners it was passed after the lapse of three years

of the notification issued under section 6 of the Act after excluding the

period   of   interim   stay   granted   by   the   court.   The   acquisition   had

lapsed. The second ground raised to assail the award was that it was

not approved by the appropriate Government but by the Advisor to the

Administrator of Union Territory.

3.In   the   reply   filed   by   the   Chandigarh   Administration,   it   was

contended that as many as 31 writ petitions were filed challenging the

said notifications issued under sections 4 and 6 respectively. In the

writ   petitions   including   C.W.P   No.2126   of   1993,   further   land

acquisition   proceedings   were   stayed   by   an   interim   order   dated

24.2.1993.   Ultimately   these   writ   petitions   were   dismissed   by   the

Division Bench on 22.9.1995. Thereafter, yet another writ petition

C.W.P. No.4433 of 1996 was filed in which further proceedings stayed

till further orders. It was allowed by a short order dated 11.8.1997

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without noticing the earlier stay of proceedings and the notification

under   section   4   and   declaration   under   section   6   were   quashed.

Chandigarh Administration then filed review application which was

allowed   by   a   detailed   order   dated   31.1.2003   and   order   dated

11.8.1997, allowing writ petition, was recalled. A number of other writ

petitions   were   also   filed   being   C.W.P.   No.14804   of   1993,   C.W.P.

No.14892 of 1998, and C.W.P. No.14903 of 1998. There was a stay of

further proceedings but ultimately these were dismissed on 30.9.1998.

Another batch of writ petitions being C.W.P. No.10287 of 1997, C.W.P.

No.10668  of  1997,  C.W.P.  No.10676  of  1997,  C.W.P.  No.10589  of

1997, C.W.P. No.10960 of 1997, C.W.P. No.10661 of 1997, C.W.P.

No.12043 of 1997 and C.W.P. No.16715 of 1997 were also filed. There

was a stay of further proceedings but ultimately these writ petitions

were also dismissed by the Division Bench on 4.8.1998. Thus, there

were 43 different writ petitions. Further proceedings remained under

stay from 24.2.1993 to 31.1.2003. Thereafter, public notice under

section   9   was   issued   on   6.2.2003   for   filing   the   objections   up   to

28.2.2003.   Public   notice   to   this   effect   was   published   in   leading

newspapers on 8.2.2003 and 9.2.2003. Individual intimations were

also sent to all the landowners to file their objections. Thereafter,

award was pronounced on 5.3.2003 and again   ex parte interim stay

had been obtained on 1.3.2005 by mentioning the wrong facts. After

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excluding the period of stay the award had been pronounced within

the period of two years from the date of declaration published under

section 6 of the Act. The construction raised was unauthorised and

against the provisions of the Periphery Control Act. Therefore, the

exemption was not granted. Notifications under section 4 were issued

after sanctioning by the Administrator. Thus, there was no illegality in

the acquisition.

4.The High Court by the impugned judgment and order has opined

that considering the various periods of stay mentioned in the order,

the award has been passed within a period of 701 days from the date

of the declaration issued under section 6 and the decision in Kailash

Wati & Ors. v. Union of India, C.W.P. No.11352 of 2004 had been

followed in a large number of cases. They were related to the same

notification of the very same Pocket or in respect of the other Pockets

of the same scheme No.3. Notifications under section 4 with respect to

scheme No.3 were issued on the same day so also declaration under

section 6 of the Act as there was one common purpose and scheme

No.3 was  formed  for the development of residential­cum­commercial

complex,   college   building,   and   sports   stadium.   The   decision   in

Devinder Kumar v. UT Chandigarh   – C.W.P. No.14804 of 1998 was

rendered on   30.9.1998   and  Kailash   Wati  (supra)   was   decided   on

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14.12.2006. File of the award was sent for approval to the Government

and was approved by the Advisor.

5.This Court has also affirmed the judgment of the High Court in

C.W.P. No.10297 of 1997 and C.W.P. No.10580 of 1997 decided on

4.8.1998 in S.L.P. [C] Nos.974­975 of 1999 ­­­ Puran Chand Gupta &

Ors. v. Union of India & Ors.  which was dismissed on 1.2.1999. In

Devinder Kumar (supra) it was held that the moment the court grants

stay,   it   becomes   impracticable,   if   not   impossible,   to   execute   the

scheme for the land stands notified for acquisition and everything

comes   to   a   standstill.   It   is   wholly   immaterial   whether   or   not   a

particular individual had obtained stay qua acquisition of his land or

not. The concerned authorities could not have proceeded further to

execute the same. The purpose of the scheme could not be achieved if

the stay was granted. With respect to land in Pocket Nos.6 and 8, in

view of stay granted in any of the notifications/declarations under

sections 4 and 6 either pertaining to Pocket No.8 or Pocket No.6. As

the writ petitions have been dismissed by the High Court, hence the

appeals have been preferred.

6.It was strenuously urged by learned counsel appearing on behalf

of the appellants that the award passed is violative of the proviso to

section 11A and the interpretation put on the explanation by the High

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Court is erroneous. Therefore, award having been passed beyond two

years of the declaration under section 6 of the Act, the acquisition

stood   lapsed.   Learned   counsel   has   submitted   that   the   land   is   in

Pocket   No.8.   In   the   case   of  Partap   Chand   v.   Union   Territory,

Chandigarh, CWP No.2126 of 1993, the interim stay granted could not

have been applied to the declaration under section 6 issued in the

instant   case   with   respect   to   Pocket   No.8   which   was   issued   on

29.1.1993 as the land of Partap Chand was in Pocket No.7 for which a

different   notification   was   issued   under   section   4   so   also   the

declaration under section 6. The High Court has also counted the

period of stay in Puran Chand & Ors. v. U.T. Chandigarh which was

with respect to Pocket No.7. The aforesaid decisions were followed in

the cases of Puran Chand Gupta (supra), Kailash Wati (supra), Avatar

Singh and Raj Kumar Gandhi while dismissing the writ petitions.

7.It was further urged by the learned counsel that the decision of

this Court in Government of Tamil Nadu & Anr. v. Vasantha Bai (1995)

Supp 2 SCC 423 and  Abhey Ram (Dead) by LRs. & Ors. v. Union of

India & Ors. (1997) 5 SCC 421 had been misinterpreted to the extent

that   the   stay   orders   granted   in   different   notifications   were   also

extended to other notifications. The law laid down by this Court is that

the stay granted in one case filed by the landowner can be extended to

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the land of other landowners. The abovesaid logic could not have been

applied to different notifications with respect to different Pockets of the

land.  There is a distance of about 100 ft. There is a road in­between.

There was no need to describe them in Pocket Nos.7 and 8 if they were

not different. 

8.It was also urged on behalf of the appellant that the award under

section 11 is violative of the proviso to section 11 as the approval of

the appropriate Government has not been taken. Award was approved

by the Advisor on 28.2.2003. Chandigarh being Union Territory, the

Administrator ought to have approved the award as per Article 239 of

the Constitution of India. Therefore, the award suffers from the vice of

not being previously approved by the appropriate Government. 

9.The first question for consideration is whether the award was

passed within the period stipulated under section 11A from the date of

publication of declaration under section 6 excluding the period of stay.

It   is   apparent   from   the   notification   issued   under   section   4   and

declaration under section 6 that notification under section 4 had been

issued   for   the   development  of   residential­cum­commercial   complex

and for construction of college building and sports stadium etc. by the

Notified Area Committee, Manimajra, Union Territory Chandigarh and

declarations under section 6 had also been issued for the aforesaid

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purpose i.e. Scheme No.3. Though different notification under section

21 and declaration under section 6 had been issued, they are related

to scheme No.3 only. Scheme No.3 is one and this aspect has been

considered by the High Court in the decisions of Puran Chand Gupta

& Ors.  (supra) and  Devinder Kumar  (supra) and the matters have

travelled to this Court with respect to same notification and a 3­Judge

Bench of this Court in the case of Puran Chand Gupta & Ors. v. Union

of India & Ors., C.A. Nos.663­664 of 2000 decided on 8.8.2001 has

observed:

“The point at issue is covered by the judgment of a Bench of

three learned Judges delivered in Yusufbhai Noormohmed

Nendoliya vs. State of Gujarat & Anr. (1991 (4) S.C.C. 531).

That Judgment has been subsequently followed by several

Benches of this court. It has been urged by Mr. R.K. Jain,

learned counsel for the appellants, that the view taken therein

can be contrary to the interest of the landholder and that,

therefore, the Section should be so construed that it refers only

to an order of stay obtained by a particular landholder in

whose case alone the Explanation would apply. Having regard

to the view that has consistently been taken by this court over

several years, we are not disposed to take a contrary view and

refer the matter to a larger Bench.

Accordingly, the civil appeals are dismissed.

No order as to costs.” 

10.In Devinder Kumar (supra) also the question about Pocket Nos.8

and 6 was considered and the High Court has held that it would not

make any difference in the matter as the scheme was one. Thus, it is

apparent that in view of the decision in  Puran Chand Gupta  (supra)

rendered by a 3­Judge Bench of this Court, no case for interference is

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made out on merits of the case. As the question raised is similar as

urged in the aforesaid matter, a large number of matters were decided

along with Puran Chand (supra) by the High Court. When the scheme

was same  i.e.  No.3, obviously authorities could not have proceeded

further pocket­wise and they were justified not to proceed further in

view of the various stay orders granted by the High Court from time to

time with respect to different pockets of the scheme No.3.  In view of

the decision in Puran Chand Gupta (supra) which has dealt with the

case by a reasoned order, we do not find it appropriate to interfere on

the aforesaid ground urged by learned counsel appearing on behalf of

the appellants.

11.In  Abhey Ram  (supra) this Court has considered the extended

meaning of the words “stay of the action or proceedings” and referring

to various decisions, observed that any type of the orders passed by

the Court would be an inhibitive action on the part of the authorities

to proceed further. This Court has observed thus:

“9. Therefore, the reason given in B.R. Gupta v. U.O.I. and

Ors. 37 (1989) DLT 150 (Del) (DB) are obvious with

reference to the quashing of the publication of the declaration

under Section 6 vis-a-vis the writ petitioners therein. The

question thus arise for consideration is: whether the stay

obtained by some of the persons who prohibited the

respondents from publication of the declaration under Section

6 would equally be extendible to the cases relating to the

appellants. We proceed on the premise that the appellants had

not obtained any stay of the publication of the declaration but

since the High Court in some of the cases has, in fact,

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prohibited them as extracted hereinbefore, from publication of

the declaration, necessarily, when the Court has not restricted

the declaration in the impugned orders in support of the

petitioners therein, the officers had to hold back their hands

till the matters are disposed of. In fact, this Court has given

extended meaning to the orders of stay or proceeding in

various cases, namely, Yusufbhai Noormohmed Nendoliya v.

State of Gujarat and Anr. AIR 1991 SC 2153; Hansraj Jain v.

State of Maharashtra and Ors. JT (1993) 4 SC 360; Sangappa

Gurulingappa Sajjan v. State of Kamataka and Ors. (1994) 4

SCC 145; Gandhi Grah Nirman Sahkari Samiti Ltd. Etc. Etc.

v. State of Rajasthan and Ors. JT (1993) 3 SC 194; G.

Narayanaswamy Reddy (dead) by Lrs. and Anr. v. Govt. of

Karnataka and Anr. JT (1991) 3 SC 12 and Roshanara Begum

Etc. v. U.O.I. and Ors. (1986) 1 Apex Dec 6. The words "stay

of the action or proceeding" have been widely interpreted by

this Court and mean that any type of the orders passed by this

Court would be an inhibitive action on the part of the

authorities to proceed further. When the action of conducting

an enquiry under Section 5-A was put in issue and the

declaration under Section 6 was questioned, necessarily unless

the Court holds that enquiry under Section 5-A was properly

conducted and the declaration published under Section 6 to be

valid, it would not be open to the officers to proceed further

into the matter. As a consequence, the stay granted in respect

of some would be applicable to others also who had not

obtained stay in that behalf. We are not concerned with the

correctness of the earlier direction with regard to Section 5-A

enquiry and consideration of objections as it was not

challenged by the respondent union. We express no opinion on

its correctness, though it is open to doubt.”

12.In  Om Parkash v. Union of India & Ors.  (2010) 4 SCC 17, this

Court as to the effect of interim stay has observed thus:

“72. Thus, in other words, the interim order of stay granted in

one of the matters of the landowners would put complete

restraint on the respondents to have proceeded further to issue

notification under Section 6 of the Act. Had they issued the

said notification during the period when the stay was

operative, then obviously they may have been hauled up for

committing contempt of court. The language employed in the

interim orders of stay is also such that it had completely

restrained the respondents from proceeding further in the

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matter by issuing declaration/notification under Section 6 of

the Act.”

Thus, it is apparent that when the stay has been granted in one

matter and when the scheme was one, authorities were justified in the

facts   and   circumstances   of   the   instant   case   to   stay   their   hands.

Moreover, a large number of writ petitions have been dismissed by the

High Court and orders have attained finality and this Court has also

dismissed the appeals/S.L.P.s. Thus, we are not inclined to take a

different view in the instant case.

13.Learned counsel has also referred to the decision of Government

of T.N. & Anr. v. Vasantha Bai (1995) Supp. 2 SCC 423, in which this

Court has considered the object of section 11A as delay in passing the

award would cause untold hardship and in case the award was not

passed within the time limit, the acquisition would lapse. Yusufbhai’s

decision (supra) has been relied upon so also the decision of Singappa

v. State of Karnataka (supra). There is no dispute with the proposition

laid down in the aforesaid decisions. However, facts of each and every

case have to be seen and whether time can be excluded or not, it has

also been laid down that the time spent during which there was stay,

has to be excluded. Thus, no  sustenance can be derived from the

aforesaid decision of Vasantha Bai (supra) by the appellants in which

it was observed: 

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“5. Parliament enacted Section 11A with a view to prevent

inordinate delay being made by the Land Acquisition Officer

in making the award. The price to be paid for the land

acquired under compulsory acquisition is the prevailing price

as on the date of publication of Section 4(1) notification. The

delay in making the award deprives the owner of the

enjoyment of his property or to deal with the land whose

possession has already been taken, and delay in making the

award would subject the owner of the land to untold hardship.

With a view to relieve hardship to the owner or person

interested in the land and to remedy the lapses on the part of

the Land Acquisition Officer in making the award, Section

11A was enacted which enjoins making of award

expeditiously. So, the outer limit of two years from the last of

the dates of publications, envisaged in Section 6 of the Act

was fixed. If he fails to do so, all the acquisition proceedings

under the Act would stand lapsed and the owner of the land or

person interested in the land is made free to deal with the land

as an unencumbered land. Cognizant to the fact that the

acquisition proceedings are questioned in a court of law, the

Parliament enacted Explanation to Section 11-A declaring that

the period during which action or proceedings were taken in

pursuance of the declaration under Section 6 is stayed by an

order of the court, the same "shall be excluded".

14.Learned counsel has also relied upon  Yusufbhai Noormohmed

Nendoliya v. State of Gujarat & Anr. (1991) 4 SCC 531 in which this

Court has opined that the Explanation to section 11A is in the widest

possible   terms  and   there   is   no warrant   for  limiting  the  action  or

proceedings referred to in the Explanation to actions or proceedings

preceding the making of the award under section 11. Therefore, the

period of an injunction obtained by the landholder from the High

Court   restraining   the   land   acquisition   authorities   from   taking

possession of the land has to be excluded in computing the period of

two years. The decision is of no help to the submission espoused on

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behalf   of   the   appellant.     This   Court   in  Yusufbhai   Noormohmed

Nendoliya (supra) observed:

"7. The said Explanation is in the widest possible terms and,

in our opinion, there is no warrant for limiting the action or

proceeding referred to in the Explanation to actions or

proceedings preceding the making of the award under Section

11 of the said Act. In the first place, as held by the learned

Single Judge himself where the case is covered by Section 17,

the possession can be taken before an award is made and we

see no reason why the aforesaid expression in the Explanation

should be given a different meaning depending upon whether

the case is covered by Section 17 or otherwise. On the other

hand, it appears to us that Section 11-A is intended to limit the

benefit conferred on a landholder whose land is acquired after

the declaration under Section 6 is made to in cases covered by

the Explanation. The benefit is that the award must be made

within a period of two years of the declaration, failing which

the acquisition proceedings would lapse and the land would

revert to the land-holder. In order to get the benefit of the said

provision what is required, is that the land-holder who seeks

the benefit must not have obtained any order from a court

restraining any action or proceeding in pursuance of the

declaration under Section 6 of the said Act so that the

Explanation covers only the cases of those land-holders who

do not obtain any order from a court which would delay or

prevent the making of the award or taking possession of the

land acquired. In our opinion, the Gujarat High Court was

right in taking a similar view in the impugned judgment."

15.Reliance has also been placed on Sangappa Gurulingappa Sajjan

v. State of Karnataka & Ors. (1994) 4 SCC 145, in which this Court

has laid down that in case there was a stay of dispossession, no useful

purpose would be served by issuing a declaration under section 6.

Therefore, the period during which the order of dispossession granted

by the High Court operated, should be excluded in the computing

period.  In Sangappa Gurulingappa Sajjan (supra) this Court observed:

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"2. The petitioner contends that the declaration under Section

6 was not published within three years from the date of the

Notification dated May 17, 1984, and, therefore, the

Notification under Section 4(1) shall stand lapsed. We find no

substance in the contention. Firstly the case would be

dismissed on a short ground that though this plea was

available to the petitioner, he did not raise the same in the first

instance and that, therefore, by operation of Section 11 C.P.C.

it operates as constructive res judicata. Under first proviso to

Section 6(1), as amended in the Land Acquisition

(Amendment) Act 68 of 1984 through Section 6 thereof that

(i) no declaration in respect of any particular land covered by

a notification under Section 4, Sub-section (1) shall be

published after the commencement of the Land Acquisition

(Amendment and Validation) Ordinance. 1967. but before the

commencement of the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act,

1984, after the expiry of three years from the date of the

publication of the notification or (ii) after the commencement

of the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act, 1984 shall be

made after the expiry of one year from the date of the

publication of the notification. In other words, under the pre-

Amendment Act the declaration under Section 6(1) shall not

be published after the expiry of three years from the date of

Section 4(1) publication and after the commencement of the

Amendment Act, the State has no power to proceed with the

mater and publish the declaration under Section 6(1) after the

expiry of one year from the date of the publication of the

notification. Explanation 1 thereto provides the method or

mode of computation of the period referred to in the first

proviso, namely, the period during which "any action or

proceeding" be taken in pursuance of the notification issued

under Sub-section (1) of Section 4 being "stayed by an order

of a Court shall be excluded", In other words, the period

occupied by the order of stay made by a Court shall be

excluded. Admittedly, pending writ petition on both the

occasions the High Court granted "stay of dispossession".

Admittedly, the validity of tenability of the notification issued

and published under Section 4(1) is subject of adjudication

before the High Court. Till the writ petitions are disposed of

or the appeals following its heels, the stay of dispossession

was in operation. Though there is no specific direction

prohibiting the publication of the declaration under Section 6,

no useful purpose would be served by publishing Section 6(1)

declaration pending adjudication of the legality of Section

4(1) notification. If any action is taken to pre-empt the

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proceedings, it would be stigmatised either as "undue haste"

or action to "over-reach the Court's judicial process".

Therefore, the period during which the order of dispossession

granted by the High Court operated, should be excluded in

computation" of the period of three years covered by Clause

(1) of the first proviso to the Land Acquisition Act. When it is

so computed, the declaration published on the second

occasion is perfectly valid. Under these circumstances, we do

not find any justification to quash the notification published

under Section 6 dated May 17, 1984. The review petitions are

accordingly dismissed. No costs.”

16. In the instant case, various notifications and declarations under

sections 4 and 6 were issued on the same date with respect to the

same scheme. Thus, they were part and parcel of the same scheme.

Thus,  the  submission  raised  by learned  counsel for  the  appellant

stands rejected.  

17.The second and the last submission raised by learned counsel

for the appellant is that the award had been approved by the Advisor

to the Administrator whereas it was required to be approved by the

Administrator. In this connection, reliance has been placed upon the

Chandigarh   (Delegation   of   Powers)   Act,   1987   (Act   No.2   of   1988).

Section 3 thereof provides that any power, authority or jurisdiction or

any duty which the Administrator may exercise or discharge under

any law in force in the Union Territory of Chandigarh may be exercised

or   discharged   also   by   such   officer   or   other   authority   as   may   be

specified   in   this   behalf   by   the   Central   Government   or   the

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Administrator by notification in the Official Gazette, and any appeal or

application for revision can be transferred for disposal to an officer or

other authority competent under sub­section (1) to dispose of the

same.  Ex post  facto  authorisation  dated   7.12.2015  has  also  been

placed on record given by the Administrator authorising the Advisor

and validating/approving awards. As the award was approved by the

Advisor to the Administrator under his delegated authority,  ex­post

facto  sanction   had   been   granted   by   the   Administrator   to   all   the

awards.

18.Apart from that the question of an award having been approved

by the advisor to the Administrator was raised in C.W.P. No.17935 of

2014 – Gagandeep Kang & Ors. v. Union Territory of Chandigarh. The

writ petition was dismissed by the High Court and the S.L.P. filed in

this Court has also been dismissed by this Court. S.L.P. [C] No.355 of

2015 has also been dismissed along with two other matters by this

Court.

19.In view of the various decisions rendered in the same matter

which have attained finality, it would not be appropriate to take a

different view. Reliance has been placed by learned counsel for the

appellant on the decisions of this Court in Surinder Singh Brar & Ors.

v. Union of India & Ors. (2013) 1 SCC 403 and Gurbinder Kaur Brar &

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Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. (2013) 11 SCC 228. In both the cases, the

matter was with respect to sanction for land acquisition which was not

granted by the appropriate Government i.e., the Administrator. In the

instant case, the Advisor had approved the award. Since there is ex­

post facto approval and a large number of other matters have already

been dismissed, it is not considered appropriate to make interference

in this matter on the aforesaid ground, particularly when sanction for

acquisition had been granted by the appropriate authority, is not in

dispute in the instant matter.

20.Resultantly, the appeals being devoid of merits deserve dismissal

and the same are hereby dismissed. Parties to bear their own costs, as

incurred.

……..…………………..J.

(ARUN MISHRA)

…….……………………J.

UDAY UMESH LALIT)    

NEW DELHI;

MAY 11, 2018.

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