HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD WRIT - C No. - 176 of 2013 Mustaq Ahmad …..Petitioner(s) Versus State of U.P. and others …..Respondent(s) Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Harindra Prasad Counsel for Respondent(s) : Rajiv Singh (S.C.) Chief Justice's Court HON'BLE ARUN BHANSALI, CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE KSHITIJ SHAILENDRA, J. 1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Standing Counsel for the State-respondents. 2. This petitioner is aggrieved by non- payment of compensation of his land utilized by the respondents and has prayed for a mandamus to them to pay him compensation along with interest at the current circle rate within stipulated period. Further prayer has been made to direct the respondents to take decision on his representation dated 17.04.2012. 3. The case of the petitioner is that he is owner of half share of land bearing Khasra No.165/1, area 171 Kari, situated at Mauja Sarahu, Tehsil Sadar, District Mau; co-sharer of other half share being Smt. Kalawati w/o Bechan. The respondents took possession of land on 18.08.2001 but did not pay compensation and the application filed by the 2 WRIC No. - 176 of 2013 petitioner requesting payment of compensation was also not considered. Hence the petition. 4. Pursuant to order dated 04.01.2013 passed by this Court, counter affidavit sworn by Assistant Engineer, Irrigation Division-III, Mau was filed on behalf of the State respondents in the year 2014 taking a stand that the land of the petitioner had not been acquired, however, the field staff, due to mistake, constructed/extended construction of dam over petitioner’s land instead of Gata No.525/8/2. Specific stand to that effect has been taken in paragraph 4 of the counter affidavit, which reads as under:- “4.That, the contents of para 1,, of the writ petition are not admitted as stated in para under reply, it is further submitted that the petitioner is half share holder of the property Gata No. 165/1, measuring 0.171 Kari. There was no proceeding of Acquisition conducted by the State Authorities in regard to Gata No. 165/1 measuring 0.171 Kari. The land (other than petitioner's land Gata No. 165/1) was acquired by the State Authorities for constructing Dam for the purpose of security from the flood, the land was acquired in the interest of public at large. The field staff due to mistake has constructed/extended construction of dam on petitioner's land Gata No. 165/1, measuring 0.171 Kari, instead of Gata No. 525/8/2 measuring 0.202 Kari.” 5. As regards compensation, stand of the respondents is that they are ready to pay compensation to the petitioner at the rate on which the other land owners had got compensation when their land had been acquired. Paragraph 12 of the counter affidavit reads as under:- “12. That, the contents of paragraph No. 9, of the writ petition, are not admitted as stated in para under reply, it is further submitted that when the construction was going on at the land Gata No. 165/1 but at that time the petitioner did not raise any objection on the construction of dam over his land, the petitioner has raised his objection at much belated stage while the construction of dam was completed. The Respondent Authorities are ready to pay compensation to the petitioner on rate/volume on which the other land owners have got compensation when the land was acquired.” 6. From the stand taken by the respondents, it becomes clear that without acquiring the land of the petitioner by following due process of law, not only possession of the same has been taken by them, the same has already been utilized for construction of dam thereon. Under such circumstances, the petitioner is certainly entitled to receive compensation, willingness to pay which has also been expressed by the respondents on oath. Though the counter affidavit was filed in the year 3 WRIC No. - 176 of 2013 2014, learned counsel for the petitioner has made a statement that till today, compensation has not been paid to the petitioner. 7. We may here refer to a Government Order dated 12.05.2016 issued by the State Government wherein a District Level Committee has been constituted to examine and decide the matters where, without acquiring land of a person according to law, the same has been utilized by the Government and compensation has not been paid. The Government Order reads as under:- “संख्या -327/ एक -13-2016- राजस्व -13 ्ቚेषक, आलोक रंजन, मुख्य सचि व, उ्ቈर ्ቚदेश शासन। सेवा में, 1-- समस्त ्ቚमुख सचि व/सचि व, २- समस्त मण्डलायु्ሹ उ्ቈर ्ቚदेश शासन। उ्ቈर ्ቚदेश। 3-- निनदेशक, 4- समस्त जिजलाचि0कारी भूनिम अध्यानि6 निनदेशालय, उ्ቈर ्ቚदेश। राजस्व परिरषद, उ०्ቚ०। राजस्व अनुभाग -13 लखनऊ : निदनांक : 12 मई , 2016 निवषयः - राजकीय निवभागों / राज्य के स्वाय्ቈशासी निनकायों / निवकास ्ቚाचि0करणों ्ቛारा निDना निवचि0क रूप से अቌኌजत ्ቅय की गयी निनजी भूनिम के ्ቚचितकर के भुगतान की ्ቚनि्ቅया। महोदय, राजस्व अनुभाग-13 के शासनादेश संख्या-244/1-13/89-रा-13, निदनांक 07-मा K, 1989, शासनादेश संख्या-1433/1-13-2004-1(50)/2004, निदनांक 03-9-2004, शासनादेश संख्या-895/1-13-2005-1(50)/2004 टी०सी०-1-13, निदनांक 10-6-2005 एवं शासनादेश संख्या-डब्लू-128/एक-13-2013-10 ख(64)/13, निदनांक 31 जनवरी, 2014 ्ቛारा यह आदेश जारी निकये गये है निक शासन के निवभिभ्ቐ निवभागों / अचि0कारिरयों राज्य के स्वाय्ቈशासी निनकायों / निवकास ्ቚाचि0करणों ्ቛारा निवभिभ्ቐ संवै0ानिनक अचि0देशों , सांनिवचि0क ्ቚानिव0ानों, सुसंगत अचि0निनयमों, निनयमों एवं शासनादेशों ्ቛारा निन0ारिरत ्ቚनि्ቅया पूणKकर निनजी भूनिम का निवचि0वत अचि0्ቇहण कर संDंचि0त भू -स्वामी / निहतD्ቍ को ्ቚचितकर का भुगतान कर भूनिम पर कब्जा लिलया जाय। 2-मा० उ्ሴ न्यायालय इलाहाDाद के सम्ቌ योजिजत रिरट याचि का सं० -19009/2016 म नोज कु मार (इलाहाDाद) Dनाम उ०्ቚ० राज्य व अन्य तथा रिरट याचि का संख्या-18764/2016 पूरन न््ቖ (आगरा) Dनाम उ०्ቚ० राज्य व अन्य में मा० उ्ሴ न्यायालय के सम्ቌ यह तथ्य लाया गया निक ्ቚ्቞गत मामलों में या ीगणों की भूनिम का निDना समुचि त अचि0्ቇहण/्ቅय निकये और भूनिम के ्ቚचितकर का भुगतान निकये, भूनिम पर कब्जा ले लिलया गया है। मा० उ्ሴ न्यायालय ने उपरो्ሹ तथ्यों का सं्ሺान लेते हुए निदनांक 27-4-2016 को यह आदेश निदये निक मुख्य सचि व, उ्ቈर ्ቚदेश मा० न्यायालय के सम्ቌ उपቝኌस्थत हो और यह अवगत कराये निक इस ्ቚकार की अवै0ानिनक कायKवानिहयों को रोकने हेतु क्या कदम उठाये गये और इस हेतु समुचि त 4 WRIC No. - 176 of 2013 सुझाव मा० न्यायालय के सम्ቌ ्ቚस्तुत करें। मा० न्यायालय ्ቛारा रिरट याचि का सं0-19009/2018 मनोज कु मार (इलाहाDाद) Dनाम उ०्ቚ० राज्य व अन्य में पारिरत आदेश निदनांक 27-4-2016 का सुसंगत अंश निनम्नवत् हैः- "What is more surprising is that several writ petitions, making similar allegations against various Development Authorities functioning within the State and the instrumentalities of the State and government departments, are filed every day. Reference may be made to three writ petitions making identical allegations, which have come up today i.e. Writ Petition No.18753 of 2016, Writ Petition No.18764 of 2016 & Writ Petition No.18824 of 2016. Whenever the cause is pressed in individual case normally the State or its instrumentalities come up with an offer of compensation to the petitioner and on receiving the money, normally the petitioners choose not to proceed any further with the writ petition. But, that is not the solution to the problem. There may be many more cases where affected persons may not be able to approach this Court. The need of the time is to curb this tendency being practiced by various departments of the State Government like the Public Works Department, Irrigation Department as well as the Development Authorities and other instrumentalities of the State. In the circumstances, we deem it fit to require the Chief Secretary of the State to appear before us to assist as to what steps can be taken to curb this illegal practice being followed throughout the State blatantly. The Chief Secretary shall appear in person before this Court along with his suggestions on 17.5.2016. In the meantime, the learned counsel, who has accepted notice on behalf of the Development Authority, shall also seek instructions in the matter. List on 17.5.2016. Learned Standing Counsel shall communicate this…" 3-इस ्ቚकार के मामलों के निनस्तारण हेतु निनम्नवत् ्ቚनि्ቅया निन0ाKरिरत की जाती हैः- (1) सभी जनपदों में अपर जिजलाचि0कारी (निव्ቈ एवं राजस्व) की अध्य्ቌता में निनम्नवत् " भू - ्ቚचितकर से संDंचि0त जन समस्याओं के निनवारण हेतु जिजला सनिमचित " गनिठत की जाती है:- 1- अपर जिजलाचि0कारी (निव०/रा०) अध्य्ቌ 2- लोक निनमाKण निवभाग के जनपद ቝኌस्थत कायाKलय में तैनात वरिर्቗ अचि0शासी अभिभयंता सदस्य 3- िሺस ाई निवभाग के जनपद ቝኌस्थत कायाKलय में तैनात वरिर्቗ अचि0शासी अभिभयंता सदस्य 4- जिजला पं ायत के अचि0शासी अचि0कारी/ अपर अचि0शासी अचि0कारी जैसी भी ቝኌस्थचित हो सदस्य 5- जनपद ቝኌस्थत निवकास ्ቚाचि0करण के सचि व सदस्य 6- संDंचि0त निनकाय/निवभाग जिजनके निवरू्ቍ भिशकायत ्ቚा6 हुई है के ्ቚाचि0कृ त अचि0कारी सदस्य 5 WRIC No. - 176 of 2013 7- उपजिजलाचि0कारी, सदर सदस्य सचि व (2) निकसी व्यनि्ሹ से ऐसी भिशकायत ्ቚा6 होने पर निक उसकी भूनिम का निवचि0वत् अचि0्ቇहण/्ቅय निकये निDना और निDना ्ቚचितकर का भुगतान निकये निवभाग ्ቛारा कब्जा ले लिलया गया है, तो सनिमचित ्ቛारा ऐसी भिशकायतों की जां कर भिशकायत ्ቚा6 होने के 02 माह के अंन्दर निवस्तृत रिरपोटK संस्तुचित सनिहत संDंचि0त जिजलाचि0कारी के सम्ቌ ्ቚस्तुत की जायेगी। (3) संDंचि0त जिजलाचि0कारी ्ቛारा सनिमचित की रिरपोटK पर निव ार कर एक स्वतः स्प्ቖ सकारण आदेश से ्ቚकरण का निनस्तारण, सनिमचित से रिरपोटK ्ቚानि6 के एक माह के अंदर कर निदया जायेगा और इसकी सू ना भिशकायतकताK, निनदेशक, भूनिम अध्यानि6 निनदेशालय, राजस्व परिरषद एवं संDंचि0त ्ቚशासनिनक निवभाग को पंजीकृ त डाक / स्पीड पोस्ट से भेज दी जायेगी। जिजलाचि0कारी के निनस्तारण के ्ቅम में संDंचि0त प्ቌों ्ቛारा अ्ቇेतर कायKवाही की जायेगी। (4) सदस्य सचि व ्ቛारा सनिमचित की Dैठकों की Dैठकों की कायKवानिहयों का सं ालन निकया जायेगा और Dैठक की कायKवाही लेखन व रिरपोटK आनिद तैयार करने की कायKवाही की जायेगी 4- जिजलाचि0कारी ्ቛारा ्ቚत्येक माह इस ्ቚकार के ्ቚा6 मामलों / भिशकायतों और उनके निनस्तारण की माजिसक ्ቚगचित रिरपोटK संल्ሿ ्ቚारूप-1 पर निनदेशक, भूनिम अध्यानि6, राजस्व परिरषद को अगले की माह की 10 तारीख तक उपलब्0 करायी जायेगी। निनदेशक, भूनिम अध्यानि6 राजस्व परिरषद , उ०्ቚ०, लखनऊ ्ቛारा पूरे ्ቚदेश की संकलिलत सू ना ्ቚत्येक माह की 20 तारीख तक ्ቚारूप-2 पर शासन के राजस्व निवभाग को उपलब्0 करायी जायेगी। संल्ሿक-यथो्ሹ भवदीय, (आलोक रंजन) मुख्य सचि व 8. Learned counsel for both sides agreed that the matter may be referred to the District Level Committee for determining compensation and making payment of the same to the petitioner. 9. In view of the above, we permit and direct as under:- (a) The petitioner may approach the District Level Committee constituted under the Government Order dated 12.05.2016 with a fresh representation along with a copy of this order and documents of title/record of rights and any other material that may be relevant; (b) As soon as the representation is submitted by the petitioner, the District Level Committee shall take up the same and shall proceed to determine the quantum of compensation with utmost expedition and in terms of the 6 WRIC No. - 176 of 2013 stipulations made in the Government Order, not later than three months; (c) The District Level Committee shall also provide opportunity of hearing to the petitioner during the course of determination of compensation and shall communicate its decision to him by registered post at the address, indicated in the representation. 10. It is made clear that the quantum of compensation determined by the District Level Committee would not be treated as final and, in case, the petitioner is aggrieved of the same, he may avail remedies as may be available to him under law. 11. With the above observations and directions, the writ petition stands disposed of. (Kshitij Shailendra, J) (Arun Bhansali, CJ) April 08, 2026 Jyotsana Digitally signed by :- JYOTSANA SINGH High Court of Judicature at Allahabad