High Court Kerala High Court

Elsamma vs K.S.E.B on 12 June, 2008

Kerala High Court
Elsamma vs K.S.E.B on 12 June, 2008
       

  

  

 
 
  IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM

CRP.No. 1779 of 2001()



1. ELSAMMA
                      ...  Petitioner

                        Vs

1. K.S.E.B.
                       ...       Respondent

                For Petitioner  :SMT.VALSAMMA KURIAN JOSE

                For Respondent  :SRI.C.K.KARUNAKARAN, SC FOR KSEB

The Hon'ble MR. Justice P.R.RAMAN
The Hon'ble MR. Justice T.R.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR

 Dated :12/06/2008

 O R D E R
                            P.R.RAMAN &
                  T.R.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR,JJ.
             -------------------------------
                    C.R.P.NO.1779 OF 2001
            --------------------------------
                Dated this the 12th day of June, 2008

                              O R D E R

Raman,J.

Petitioners are land owners. For the purpose of drawing 11 KV

line to Kommady along with the western side of NH 47 Alleppey by-

pass, certain trees standing in the property of the petitioners were cut

and removed. An amount of Rs.1983/- was awarded as compensation.

Dissatisfied with the same, the petitioners preferred E.O.P.No.107/95

before the District Court. The claim of the petitioners before the court

below was that they are entitled to Rs.7,000/- for two yielding coconut

trees and for the two non-yielding coconut trees they spent Rs.800/- to

remove and re-plant the same to the non-affected areas. They claimed

Rs.1,200/- to the cashew trees, Rs.1,000/- to the jack tree, Rs.800/- to

the perumaram, Rs.800/- to 16 bamboos and Rs.500/- to the Oothi and

Mango trees. In addition to the above claims they also claimed

Rs.48,000/- towards diminution in land value for four cents of land

affected totalling of which comes to Rs.60,000/-. The learned District

Judge framed necessary issues for consideration. Exts.A1 and A2

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were marked on the side of the petitioners. Commission report was

marked as Ext.C1. The 3rd petitioner was examined as PW-1 on the side

of the petitioners. The court below, after appreciation of the evidence on

record, held that the particulars in the D.V.S. can be relied upon and the

annuity has to be calculated based on the 5% return as per the earlier

decision of this Court. It was also found based on the valuation made in

the adjacent property that the prevalent land value will be Rs.9,000/- per

cent. An extent of 2.47 cents has been injuriously affected. Actually, 11

KV line is drawn through the road on the side of the property and the

contention that the land value has been considerably affected was not

upheld. The diminution in land value was fixed by the court below at the

rate of 30% based on the evidence adduced. We do not find that the

above fixation is in any way arbitrary. The court below has awarded an

amount of Rs.8,652/- as additional compensation with 12% interest per

annum from the date of cutting of the trees. It is now settled that the

compensation is awardable on the date of cutting of trees. Thus all the

aspects were considered by the court below in the matter of fixation of

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compensation.

In the result, we find no merit in this revision. The revision is

accordingly dismissed.

P.R.RAMAN,
Judge.

T.R.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR,
Judge.

kcv.

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