- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:35023 WP No. 24362 of 2024 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 3RD DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R DEVDAS WRIT PETITION NO. 24362 OF 2024 (KLR-LG) BETWEEN: H. T. RAMEGOWDA S/O LATE TIMMEGOWDA, AGED ABOUT 65 YEARS, R/AT MADIHALLI VILLAGE, K HOSAKOTTE HOBLI, ALUR TALUK, HASSAN -576233. …PETITIONER (BY SRI. OMKAR BASAVA PRABHU., ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REP BY ITS SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, M.S.BUILDING, BANGALORE-560001 2. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HASSAN DISTRICT-573214. 3. THE TAHASILDAR ALUR, ALUR TALUK, HASSAN DISTRICT-573115 4. THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER FOR HEMAVATHI RESERVOIR PROJECT, HASSAN DISTRICT-573214 5. THE COMMISSIONER FOR REHABILITATION AND RESETTLEMENT AND EX OFFICIO SECRETARY Digitally signed by DHARMALINGAM Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:35023 WP No. 24362 of 2024 TO THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, VIDHANA SOUDHA, BENGALURU-560001 6. POLICE INSPECTOR D.C.R.B. DIVISION, HASSAN-573214 …RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. V. SESHU, HCGP) THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO CALL FOR THE ENTIRE RECORDS IN PROCEEDING BEARING NO. LND/HE.JA.YO(DA).123/12-13 ON THE FILE OF R-4 AND ISSUE A WRIT OR ORDER BY WAY OF CERTIORARI TO QUASH THE IMPUGNED ORDER BEARING NO.LND/HE.JA.YO.(DA).123/2012- 13, DTD 25.08.2022 PASSED BY R-4 AT ANNX-A AND ETC. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R DEVDAS ORAL ORDER The petitioner is aggrieved of the impugned order dated 25.08.2022 passed by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, Hemavathi Reservoir Project, Hassan, in case No.L.N.D/HE.JA.YO.(D):123/2012-13, at Annexure-A. - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:35023 WP No. 24362 of 2024 2. The petitioner claims to be a legal representative of Late. Channe Gowda, who lost lands due to submergence of his lands under water on the construction of Hemavati/Yagachi/ Vatehole Reservoir Project. In terms of the scheme proposed by the State Government, a person who lost land on account of submergence for the project, would not only be entitled for compensation but also entitled for grant of alternative lands to ensure that the livelihood of such agriculturists are not lost. Accordingly, 3.00 Acres of land in Block No.I of Sy.No.17 and another extent of 1.00 Acre of land in Block No.II of Sy.No.17 (in total 4.00 Acres), both situated at Madihalli village, K.Hosakote Hobli, Aluru Taluk, Hassan District, was granted to the petitioner. However, several irregularities were found in the matter of allotment of alternative lands. Action was directed by the State Government having regard to such irregularities. The Special Land Acquisition Officer (for short ‘SLAO’) has passed the impugned order canceling the grant on the - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:35023 WP No. 24362 of 2024 ground that the grantee/petitioner did not obtain ‘No Objection Certificate’ for having paid the price of the malki/standing trees. 3. Having regard to the ground on which the order has been passed, learned counsel for the petitioner has drawn the attention of this Court to Rule 11 of the Karnataka Land Grant Rules, 1969 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Rules, 1969’, for short). Learned Counsel submits that whenever lands are granted under the provisions of the Rules, 1969, the manner in which the trees grown on the granted lands have been disposed is provided for in the said provision. Learned Counsel submits that sub-rule (1) provides that the authorities of the Forest Department have to value all the trees standing on the granted lands. Sub-rule (2) provides that wherever the value of the trees so assessed is not more than Rs.5,000/- in cases of other cultivable lands, the grantee should be given the option of paying the estimated price; the time to be stipulated by the granting authority and accordingly the trees shall be - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:35023 WP No. 24362 of 2024 sold to the grantee. It provides that if the grantee once agrees to pay the value of the trees and defaults to pay the same, it may occasion cancellation of the grant. If the grantee is not willing to pay the value of the trees assessed by the Forest Department, the trees shall be disposed of by the authorities of the Forest Department by tender-cum-auction sale. Sub-rule (3) provides that if the value is more than Rs.5,000/- the trees shall be removed by the authorities of the Forest Department within one year from the date of the grant of land. The learned Counsel would therefore submit that when admittedly, the value of the standing trees are not assessed in terms of sub-rule (1) and no intimation is given to the grantee/petitioner calling upon to pay the value, there was no occasion for the competent authority to cancel the grant. 4. In the present case, it has been pointed out from the impugned order itself that the SLAO has not made any statement regarding assessment on the value of the - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:35023 WP No. 24362 of 2024 standing trees; and that the grantee/petitioner was called upon to pay the value of the standing trees. In that view of the matter, it is submitted that the impugned order cannot be sustained. 5. There is substance in the submissions of the learned Counsel for the petitioner. 6. Having regard to the express provision contained in Rule 11 of the Rules, 1969, since nothing is found on record to say as to whether the SLAO got fixed the value of the trees at the hands of the authorities of the Forest Department and since it is not stated that the grantee/petitioner was called upon to pay the value of the standing trees, this Court is of the opinion that the impugned order passed by the SLAO canceling the grant cannot be sustained. 7. At this juncture, the learned High Court Government Pleader appearing on behalf of the respondent-State would submit that the matter may be remanded back to the SLAO to enable the SLAO to have - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:35023 WP No. 24362 of 2024 the valuation of the standing trees assessed at the hands of the officials of the Forest Department. Further, although the learned HCGP seeks to point out from the impugned order that some observations have been made by the SLAO that relevant records have not been furnished by the petitioner to show whether grantee/petitioner is the owner of the land, the extent of land submerged etc., this Court is of the considered opinion that such observations are general in nature, having regard to the fact that the SLAO was called upon to enquire into all the grants and such observations are general observations and would not be applicable to the petitioner. The factual information and the ground on which the impugned order of cancellation has been passed by the SLAO is the non-payment of the value of the standing trees. Therefore, all other observations made in the impugned order are hereby set aside as not specifically applicable to the petitioner. It is also a fact that the impugned order of cancellation was passed without hearing the grantee/petitioner and - 8 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:35023 WP No. 24362 of 2024 therefore, on the ground of denial of principles of natural justice alone, the impugned order of cancellation is required to be set aside. 8. However, accepting the submission of the learned HCGP that an opportunity should be given to the SLAO to have the valuation of the standing trees made at the hands of the competent authority and inform the grantee/petitioner regarding the value of the trees and call upon to pay the same in terms of Rule 11 of the Rules 1969, this Court proceeds to pass the following: ORDER i) Writ petition is allowed in part. ii) The impugned order dated 25.08.2022 in case No.L.N.D./HE.JA.YO.(D): 123/ 2012-13 passed by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, Hemavathi Reservoir Project, Hassan, at Annexure-A, is hereby quashed and set aside. iii) The matter stands remanded back to the SLAO to have the value of the standing trees in the granted land assessed at the hands of - 9 - HC-KAR NC: 2025:KHC:35023 WP No. 24362 of 2024 the competent authority. Thereafter information shall be provided to the grantee/petitioner in terms of Rule 11 of the Rules, 1969, if the value is to be paid by the petitioner. iv) On the other hand, if the valuation of the standing trees is more than Rs.5,000/, as provided in sub-rule (3) of Rule 11 of the Rules, 1969, then the SLAO shall have the trees removed in terms of the provisions contained in sub-rule (3) of Rule 11 of the Rules, 1969. v) At any rate, the SLAO shall keep the grantee/petitioner informed of his decision having regard to the provisions contained in sub-rule (2) and sub-rule (3) of Rule 11 of the Rules, 1969. vi) Consequent to the restoration of the grant in favour of the grantee/petitioner, the revenue entries shall also be restored in the RTC. Sd/- (R DEVDAS) JUDGE DL CT: JL