Quick Summary: The High Court of Bombay handled a case about disagreements over how much money should be paid for land in Latur. The Todkar family and others wanted more money for their land, while the State wanted to pay less. The court decided on a new amount for the compensation.
This case involved several appeals by landowners, including Ramchandra Rangnath Todkar, against the State of Maharashtra. Their lands were taken for a water storage project in Babhalgaon, Latur. The landowners were not happy with the amount of money offered by the State.
At first, the official in charge of buying the land offered money at rates of Rs. 1394/- and Rs. 2788/- per R. However, another court changed this to Rs. 125/- per square foot. The landowners, thinking their land was worth more, wanted Rs. 250/- per square foot.
"The judge made a mistake by not looking at similar land sales in the same village..."
The State said the money offered was too much. They argued that previous cases couldn't be used to compare and that the interest calculations were wrong.
The court checked different land sale documents and earlier decisions. It found that the judge had made some errors in comparing land prices and calculating interest.
The court decided to raise the compensation to Rs. 165/- per square foot. This was a middle ground between what the landowners wanted and what the State was willing to pay.
"We think it's right to give more money at the rate of Rs.165/- per square foot, which seems fair..."
The court also fixed the interest calculations. Interest would be paid starting from the date of the award, not the notification. The State's request to lower the compensation was rejected.
The court increased the compensation to Rs. 165/- per square foot and corrected the interest calculations, ensuring interest is paid from the award date. The State's attempt to reduce the compensation was turned down.
"Award be drawn up accordingly."
This case shows how deciding land value and compensation can be complicated, with both sides needing to provide strong evidence to support their claims.
