ORDER
S.C. Dharmadhikari, J.
1. In all these matters, petitioner Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation, Aurangabad impugns the orders/ award made by respondent No. 2 in applications under Section 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. These awards are made on 22-10-2001. XBy the award, several claimants have been awarded diverse sums in respect of acquisition of their lands for the purpose of the Development Corporation.
2. Reliance is placed on Section 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 which reads as under :
28A. (1) Where in an award under this Part, the Court allows to the applicant any amount of compensation in excess of the amount awarded by the Collector under Section 11, the persons interested in all the other land covered by the same notification under Section 4, Sub-section (1) and who are also aggrieved by the award of the Collector may, notwithstanding that they had not made an application to the Collector under Section 18, by written application to the Collector within three months from the date of the award of the Court require that the amount of compensation payable to them may be re-determined on the basis of the amount of compensation awarded by the Court:
Provided that in computing the period of three months within which an application to the Collector shall be made under this sub-section the day on which the award was pronounced and the time requisite for obtaining a copy of the award shall be excluded.
(2) The Collector shall, on receipt of an application under Sub-section (1), conduct an enquiry after giving notice to all the persons interested and giving them a reasonable opportunity of being heard, and make an award determining the amount of compensation payable to the applicants.
(3) Any person who has not accepted the award under Sub-section (2) may, by written application to the Collector, require that the matter be referred by the Collector for the determination of the Court and the provisions of Sections 18 to 28 shall, so far as may be, apply to such reference as they apply to reference under Section 18.
A bare perusal of Section 28-A of the Land Acquisition Act makes it abundantly clear that while making an award and exercising power there under, it is obligatory on the part of the Collector to conduct an enquiry after giving notice to all persons interested and give them reasonable opportunity of being heard. This power conferred on the Collector is of redetermination of amount of compensation on the basis of award of the Court. Admittedly, the Legislature has provided safeguards in Sub-section (2) so that applicants before they are held to be entitled to the benefits of awards made by Court, notice be issued to the Acquiring Body and other persons interested so that they are heard before any Award is made.
3. The grievance made by the petitioner Corporation in all these matters is that no notice is given to the petitioner Corporation before the impugned awards were made. There is substance in the contention of the petitioner’s Advocate that the petitioner Corporation although set up and established by the State of Maharashtra, is an independent body having perpetual succession and common seal. It cannot be and should not be treated and equated with Government. In my view instead of going into wider questions, interest of justice would be subserved by the following order :
Petitioner-Corporation is at liberty to apply for modification and/or variation of the awards in question and if such application is presented within a period of four weeks from today, respondent No. 2 shall consider the same in accordance with law after giving notice to all persons interested including the claimants herein. If the applications are presented within the time stipulated above, respondent No. 2 to hear and dispose of the same in accordance with law within a period of 12 weeks from their receipt. Needless to observe that if such applications are not presented within the time stipulated above, the petitions to stand dismissed and the respondents (original claimants) would be entitled to the amounts granted in their favour.
In case applications are made, the amounts, as deposited in this Court, to abide by further awards/orders of the Special Land Acquisition Officer.
All contentions on merits of both sides are expressly kept open and Special Land Acquisition Officer is directed to dispose of the applications as above without being influenced by the awards in question and/or any observations therein. Petitions disposed of. Liberty to the claimants to apply for withdrawal of the amounts.
Certified copy expedited.