% IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH :: AMARAVATI THURSDAY ,THE FIRST DAY OF MAY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE NINALA JAYASURYA AND THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE TARLADA RAJASEKHAR RAO LAND ACQUISITION FIRST APPEAL NO: 57 OF 2023 Between: CHINTHAMREDDY LINGA REDDY DIED, (Died) per LR Chinthamreddy Venkata Subba Reddy, S/o. late Chintanireddy Linga Reddy, Hindu, aged about 53 years, R/o. Balaji Nagar, Nellore ...PETITIONER/APPELLANT AND 1. THE SPECIAL DEPUTY COLLECTOR, (Land Acquisition) Telugu Ganga Project, Podalakur at Nellore. ...RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT 2.Narra Papa Rao,, S/o. Venkata Rayudu, 3. Narra Brahmandam,, S/o. Papa Rao 4. Guntamadugu Vijaya Bhaskara Raju,, S/o. Lakshmi Raju, 5. Devalla Sundarsanamma,, W/o. Audi Sesha Reddy 6. Manneti Venkatasubbaiah,, S/o. Ramanaiah 0 V 7. Kondareddy Rami Reddy,, S/o. Lakshmireddy, 8. Nillagondla Kondareddy,, S/o. Pitchi Reddy 9. Smt. S. Kanthamma,, Sio. VenkataseshaReddy, N.V.Rama Raju, , S/o. late Venkatasubba Raju, 10. Bandi Chandra Sekhar Reddy,, S/o. Somi Reddy 11. Narra Hah Babu,, S/o. Paparao 12. Narra Poornachandra Rao,, So. Paparao, 13. Narra Venkateswara Rao,, S/o. Paparao 14. K. Ramanaiah,, S/o. Siddaiah 15. (The Respondents 2 to 15 are not necessary parties) ...RESPONDENTS/PETITIONER Appeal filed under Section 54 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 against the Order and Decree dated 30.11.2001 passed in L.A.O.P. No. 61 of 1991 on the file of the Addl. Senior Civil Judge, Gudur, SPSR Nellore District. This appeal coming on for hearing and upon perusing the grounds of appeal, the Order and Decree of the Trial Court, and material papers in the petition and upon hearing arguments of Sri M S R Chandra Murthy, Advocate for Appellants and the Government Pleader for Appeals/Respondern t THIS COURT DOTH ORDER AND DECREE: 1. That the Appeal be and is hereby allowed by enhancing the compensation for Pomegranate trees @ Rs. 3,000/- per tree, 2. That the Appeal be and is hereby directed to pay the Court fee on the enhanced compensation amount; A r 3. That the Appeal be and is hereby not entitiled to interest during the period of delay in preferring the appeal after disposal of the L.A.O.P by the Reference Court; 4. That the Appeal be and is hereby entitled to compensation for the total number of trees as identified by the Land Acquisition Officer in the Award, and not on the total number of trees as the appellant claimed in the Reference Court; and 5. That there be no order as to costs in this Appeal. i SDI- E KAMESWARA RAO JOINT REGISTRAR //TRUE COPY// SECTION OFFICER To 1. The Civil Judge (Senior Division), Gudur, SPSR Nellore District 2. Three CD Copies HIGH COURT DATED:01/05/2025 DECREE LAAS.No.57 of 2023 ALLOWING THE LAND ACQUISITION APPEAL IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AMARA THURSDAY ,THE FIRST DAY OF MAY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE NINALA JAYASURYA AND THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE TARLADA RAJASEKHAR RAO LAND ACQUISITION FIRST APPEAL NO: 57 OF 2023 Appeal filed under Section 54 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 against the Order and Decree dated 30.11.2001 passed in L.A.O.P. No. 61 of 1991 on the file of the Addl. Senior Civil Judge, Gudur, SPSR Nellore District. Between: CHINTHAMREDDY LINGA REDDY DIED, (Died) per LR Chinthamreddy Venkata Subba Reddy, S/o. late Chintanireddy Linga Reddy, Hindu, aged about 53 years, R/o. Balaji Nagar, Nellore ...PETITIONER/APPELLANT AND 1. THE SPECIAL DEPUTY COLLECTOR, (Land Acquisition) Telugu Ganga Project, Podalakur at Nellore. ...RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT 2. Narra Papa Rao,, S/o. Venkata Rayudu, 3. Narra Brahmandam,, S/o. Papa Rao, 4. Guntamadugu Vijaya Bhaskara Raju,, S/o. Lakshmi Raju 5. Devalla Sundarsanamma,, W/o. Audi Sesha Reddy, 6. Manneti Venkatasubbaiah,, S/o. Ramanaiah, 7. Kondareddy Rami Reddy,, S/o. Lakshmireddy 8. Nillagondia Kondareddy,, S/o. Pitchi Reddy, 9. Smt. S. Kanthamma,, Sio. Venkatasesha Reddy, N.V.Rama Raju, , S/o. late Venkatasubba Raju, Band! Chandra Sekhar Reddy,, S/o. Somi Reddy Narra Hari Babu„ S/o. Paparao, Narra Poornachandra Rao,, So. Paparao, Narra Venkateswara Rao,, S/o. Paparao, K. Ramanaiah,, S/o. Siddaiah ) ) 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. (The Respondents 2 to 15 are not necessary parties) ...RESPONDENTS/PETITIONER Counsel for the Appellant(s):SRI. M S R CHANDRA MURTHY Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR LAND ACQUISITION The Court made the following: THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE NINALA JAYASURYA AND * THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE TARLADA RAJASEKHAR RAO LAND ACQUISITION APPEAL SUIT No. 57 OF 2023 JUDGMENT: (Per Hon’ble Sri Justice Ninala Jayasurya) The land of the claimants was acquired by the respondent authorities of Telugu Ganga Project for foreshore submersion of Kandaleru Reservoir. Aggrieved by the fixation of low and small amount for the trees, the appellants-claimants have received the compensation on protest and requested to refer the award to the Civil Court under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 (for short the Act). Accordingly, the award was referred and registered as L.A.O.P.No.61 of 1991 on the file of the Court of Additional Senior Civil Judge, Gudur. On considering the evidence, both oral and documentary, the Reference Court has answered the reference by confirming the award with regard to trees. 2. Dissatisfied with the compensation granted to the appellants for Pomegranate trees vide order in L.A.O.P.No.61 of 1991 on the file of the Court of Additional Senior Civil Judge, Gudur, dated 30.11.2001,the present L.A.A.S.No.57 of 2023 came to be filed seeking enhancement of the compensation of the trees. T 2 Learned counsel appearing for the appellants would submit that this Court, the composite High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Hyderabad and the Hon’ble Apex Court have fixed the rate for pomegranate trees @ Rs.3,000/- per tree and for mango trees @ Rs.3,000/- per tree and for coconut trees @ Rs.3,000/- per tree and for sweet orange trees (cheeni trees) @ Rs.4,000/- per tree and hence urged this Court to enhance the compensation for the aforesaid trees and to pass the same orders in the present appeal. 3. 1 4. The appellants relied on the judgment of this Court in a batch of appeals vide L.A.A.S.No.35 of 2019 and batch dated 27.09.2023 L.A.A.S.No.61 of 2022 and batch dated 05.10.2023, L.A.A.S.No.31 of 2019 dated 27.06.2019 and L.A.A.S.No.2 of 2023 dated 04.09.2023 and also the judgment of the Hon’ble Apex Court in D.Eswara Naidu & ors. Vs. the Special Deputy Collector (LA.) in Civil Appeal No. 11355 of 2018 dated 20.11.2018, the judgment of the composite High Court in The Special Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition), Somasila Project, Unit-IV, Rajampet, Kadapa, Kadapa District Vs. Peddireddy Madhava Reddy and others. In the said judgment, the composite High Court has fixed Rs.3,000/- per each mango tree, acid lime tree, coconut tree, guava, jack-fruit and sapota (sapodilla) and also for the trees of pomegranate, drumstick and neredu (black-plum), and so far as the 3 tamarind and soap-nut are concerned, the Court has fixed Rs.6,000/- and Rs.5,000/- respectively for each tree. 5. Learned counsel for the appellants further relied on the judgment of this Court in LAAS No.28 of 2019 and batch dated 05.11.2019, LAAS No.61 of 2023, LAAS No.63 of 2022 and the judgment of the Hon’ble High Court in Pidugu Kondala Rayudu v. Special Deputy Collector, Land Acquisition, Telugu Ganga Project Unit, Kadapa\ The Hon’ble Apex Court in D. Eswara Naidu & Ors., versus The Special Deputy CoHectorjO.A.f dated 20.11.2018, inter alia held as follows: „ “2. The issue raised in these appeals pertains to the claim made by the appellants for enhancement of compensation for pomegranate trees, which stood in the land acquired for the purpose of Somashila/Telugu Ganga Project. The notifications in these cases have been issued on different dates between 1990 to 1994. The appellants have been granted compensation at the rate of Rs.2000/- per Pomegranate Tree. We find from Civil Appeal Nos.11404-11405 of 2016 that this Court has fixed compensation at the rate of Rs.3,000/- per pomegranate tree, as against the Rs.2000/- fixed by the High Court, in respect of the acquisition for the same project, for which notification was issued Having regard to the entire facts and in the year 1994. circumstances of the case, we are of the view that it would be just, reasonable and proper to fix the compensation at the rate of ^ 2012 (12) see 848 ^2019(13) see 785 4 Rs.3,000/- per Pomegranate Tree. Therefore, these appeals are disposed of with the following directions: The appellants shall be entitled to compensation at the rate of Rs.3,000/- (Rupees Three Thousand) per Pomegranate Tree along with all statutory benefits. However, they shall not be entitled to statutory interest for the period of delay in approaching this Court or the High Court. The compensation to the claimants shall be made within three months from today.” 1 (i) (ii) (iii) 6. In the judgment rendered in LAAS No.417 of 2008, a Division Bench of this Court granted compensation in respect of trees, in the following manner: Mango, Acid Lime, Coconut, Guava, Jack-fruit & Sapota (Sapodilla) Tamarind Cheeni (Sweet Orange) Soap-nut Cashew nut trees Drumstick & Neredu (Black-plum) Dates & Palmyra trees Remaining trees Pomegranate tree Rs.3,000/- per tree Rs.6,000/- per tree Rs.4,000/- per tree Rs.5,000/- per tree Rs.2,500/- per tree Rs.2,000/- per tree Rs. 300/- per tree Rs. 400/- per tree Rs.3,000/- per tree In Civil Appeal No.2947 of 2022, the Hon’ble Apex Court has fixed compensation for the pomegranate trees @ Rs.3,000/- per tree, following the judgment of the Hon’ble Apex Court in D.Eswara Naidu & 7. 5 ors Vs. The Special Deputy Collector (LA.) (referred supra), in Civil Appeal No. 11355 of 2018 in respect of the very same project. 8. Learned Government Pleader for Appeals has relied on the judgment of the Hon’ble Apex Court in Ashok Kumar and another \/s. State of Haryana. The said judgment does not pertain to the valuation of the trees. The issue in the present appeal pertains to the valuation of the trees. Hence, the said judgment is not applicable to the present facts of the case. Learned Government Pleader for Appeals further stated that the trees existed were pre-bearing trees (plants) and accordingly the value was fixed by the Land Acquisition Officer and the Reference Court has rightly answered the said issue and stated that the appellants are not entitled for the enhancement of compensation on the basis of the judgments relied on by the learned counsel for the appellants, as they are pre-bearing trees. Hence, urged this Court to dismiss the appeal filed under Section 54 of the Act, as the appellants are not entitled for 9. any enhancement of compensation. 10. In the judgment of the Hon’ble Apex Court in D.Eswara Naidu & ors Vs. The Special Deputy Collector (LA.) (referred supra) in Civil Appeal No. 14355 of 2018, the Hon’ble Apex Court has fixed the rate for the pomegranate trees and other -trees for the very same 1 6 Somasila/Telugu Ganga Project @ Rs.3,000/- as against Rs.2,000/- and held that the appellants are entitled to compensation @ Rs.3,000/- for pomegranate tree along with all statutory benefits and also further observed that every appellant is not entitled to statutory interest for the period of delay in approaching the High Court. The Court did not make a distinction between fruit-bearing and pre-bearing trees. Therefore, this Court is inclined to extend the benefit of orders mentioned above for increasing of compensation for Pomegranate trees. I I Learned Government Pleader for Appeals has disputed about the number of trees. Therefore, this Court is inclined to allow the appeal- on fair admission made by the learned counsel for the appellants that the compensation may be enhanced as per the number of trees identified by the Land Acquisition Officer in the award, as the appellants are not insisted for grant of compensation for the number of trees which is pleaded by the appellants in the appeal. Therefore, it is made clear that the appellants are entitled to compensation for the total number of trees as identified by the Land Acquisition Officer in the award and not on the total number of trees as the appellants claimed in the Reference Court. 11. as 7 As the claim is only with regard to the trees, the present appeal is the compensation for Pomegranate trees @ 12. allowed, enhancing Rs.3,000/- per tree. the Court fee on the enhanced not entitled to interest during 13. The appellants shall pay compensation amount. The appellants are the period of delay in preferring the appeal after disposal of the L.A.O.P. Court. There shall be no order as to costs. by the Reference sequel, interlocutory applications pending, if any, in this case As a shall stand closed. SD/- E KAMESWARA RAO JOINT REGISTRAR // //TRUE COPY// N OFFICER SEC To, . The Civil Judge (Senior Division). Gudur, SPSR Nellore District (with Recors) 2. One CC to SRI. M S 3. Two CCs to GP Pradesh. [OUT] 4. The Section Officer, VR Section, 5. The section Officer, Scrutiny Section, High Court of Andhra Pradesh. 6. Three CD Copies 1 R CHANDRA MURTHY, Advocate [OPUC] for land acquisition ,High Court Of Andhra High Court of Andhra Pradesh. HIGH COURT DATED :01/05/2025 ORDER LAAS.No.57 of 2023 ALLOWING THE LAND ACQUISITION APPEAL