# TRUST BOARD, MYSORE v. P. GOVINDAN September 10, 197 6

- **Citation:** [1977] 1 S.C.R. 549
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1977
- **Case number:** Civil Appeal No. 2539 of 1972
- **Bench:** A. N. Ray, M. H. Beg, Shinghal
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/trust-board-mysore-v-p-govindan-september-10-197-6-6949
- **Pages:** 5

## Headnote

City of Mysore Improvement Act, 1903, Ss. 16, 18 and 23(1)-Relevant date
for determining market value for purposes of compensation, what is.
Section 23 ( 1) of the Land Acquisition Act originally provided that the date
for determining the market value for purpose of compensation is. the date of the
notification under s. 6. In 1927, s. 23(1) was amended makmg the date of
s. 4(1) notification as the relevant date.
With respect to certain acquisitions under the City of Mysore Improve!11ent
Act, 1903, (Mysore Act) the notification under s. 16 of the Act was published
B
c
in May 1965 and the notification under s. 18, which corresponds to s. 6 of the
Acquisition Act, was published some time later. On the question of the date for
the determination of market value for purposes of compensation under the provisions of s. 23 ( 1), Acquisition Act, the High Court followed the Full Bench
D
decision of that court in Venkatamma v. Special Land Acquisition Officer (AIR
1972 Mysore 193) and held that the date of s. 18-notification is the relevant
date, on the ground that s. 23(1), Acquisition Act, as it stood in 1903 should
be applied, since its amendment in 1927, has not ·been made specially applicable
to acquisitions after that d.ate.
Allowing the appear to this Court and remanding the case to the High Court
for determination of the market value as on the date of s. 16-notification.
E
HELD : ( 1) Section 23, Mysore Act, applied the provisions of the Acquisition Act to acquisitions under the Mysore Act, except to the extent of any express
deviation by the Mysore Act from the general procedure in the Acquisition Act.
It is a fair interpretation of s. 23, Mysore Act, to hold that it means that, whatever. may be procedure, with regard to matters regulating compensation under
the Acquisition Act, at the time of acquisition proceedings, will apply to acquisitions under the Mysore Act. The procedure, contained in the Acquisition Act
for the time being, need not be expressly applied once again after each amendF
ment of the Acquisition Act, and such procedure in the Acquisition Act would
apply if it is capable of application, since no one has a vested right in a particular vroccdure. (552 A-FJ
Therefore, s. 23 (1) of the Acquisition Act, which lays down the procedure
for awarding compensation, has to be followed as it exists at the time of the
acquisition proceedings.
[552H-553A]
(2) The 927-amendment of s. 23(1),
Acquisition Act,
meant a
lega.Uy
valid substitution of the notification under s. 4 ( 1) for the one under s. 6 of the
Acquisition Act, that is, an effective repeal and replacement. In such a situation,
according to s. 6, Mysore General Clauses Act, only proceedings commenced
before the repeal would be governed by the unamended procedure. (552 F-G]
(3) The date of notification under s. 4(1) of the Acquisition Act wouJ.d
thus be the relevant date, for determining market value. Although the procedure
laid down in s. 16, Mysore Act, is more elaborate than the procedure under
s. 4 (1), Acquisition Act, the purpose of s. 16, Mysore Act is the same as that
of s. 4(1) Acquisition Act. Therefore, the date of s. 16_notification would be
the relevant date. [553 B-F]
G
H
550
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[ 1977] 1 S.C.R.
A
Land Acquisition Officer, City Improvement Tmst Board v. H. Naravanaiah
etc., etc. [1977] 1 S.C.R. 178, followed.
·
Venkatamma v. Special Land Acquisition Officer (AIR 1972 Mysore 193)
overruled.
.

## Text

..
549
SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER CITY IMPROVEMENT
A
TRUST BOARD, MYSORE
v.
P. GOVINDAN
September 10, 197 6
[A. N. RAY, C.J., M. H. BEG AND P. N,. SHINGHAL, JJ.]
City of Mysore Improvement Act, 1903, Ss. 16, 18 and 23(1)-Relevant date
for determining market value for purposes of compensation, what is.
Section 23 ( 1) of the Land Acquisition Act originally provided that the date
for determining the market value for purpose of compensation is. the date of the
notification under s. 6. In 1927, s. 23(1) was amended makmg the date of
s. 4(1) notification as the relevant date.
With respect to certain acquisitions under the City of Mysore Improve!11ent
Act, 1903, (Mysore Act) the notification under s. 16 of the Act was published
B
c
in May 1965 and the notification under s. 18, which corresponds to s. 6 of the
Acquisition Act, was published some time later. On the question of the date for
the determination of market value for purposes of compensation under the provisions of s. 23 ( 1), Acquisition Act, the High Court followed the Full Bench
D
decision of that court in Venkatamma v. Special Land Acquisition Officer (AIR
1972 Mysore 193) and held that the date of s. 18-notification is the relevant
date, on the ground that s. 23(1), Acquisition Act, as it stood in 1903 should
be applied, since its amendment in 1927, has not ·been made specially applicable
to acquisitions after that d.ate.
Allowing the appear to this Court and remanding the case to the High Court
for determination of the market value as on the date of s. 16-notification.
E
HELD : ( 1) Section 23, Mysore Act, applied the provisions of the Acquisition Act to acquisitions under the Mysore Act, except to the extent of any express
deviation by the Mysore Act from the general procedure in the Acquisition Act.
It is a fair interpretation of s. 23, Mysore Act, to hold that it means that, whatever. may be procedure, with regard to matters regulating compensation under
the Acquisition Act, at the time of acquisition proceedings, will apply to acquisitions under the Mysore Act. The procedure, contained in the Acquisition Act
for the time being, need not be expressly applied once again after each amendF
ment of the Acquisition Act, and such procedure in the Acquisition Act would
apply if it is capable of application, since no one has a vested right in a particular vroccdure. (552 A-FJ
Therefore, s. 23 (1) of the Acquisition Act, which lays down the procedure
for awarding compensation, has to be followed as it exists at the time of the
acquisition proceedings.
[552H-553A]
(2) The 927-amendment of s. 23(1),
Acquisition Act,
meant a
lega.Uy
valid substitution of the notification under s. 4 ( 1) for the one under s. 6 of the
Acquisition Act, that is, an effective repeal and replacement. In such a situation,
according to s. 6, Mysore General Clauses Act, only proceedings commenced
before the repeal would be governed by the unamended procedure. (552 F-G]
(3) The date of notification under s. 4(1) of the Acquisition Act wouJ.d
thus be the relevant date, for determining market value. Although the procedure
laid down in s. 16, Mysore Act, is more elaborate than the procedure under
s. 4 (1), Acquisition Act, the purpose of s. 16, Mysore Act is the same as that
of s. 4(1) Acquisition Act. Therefore, the date of s. 16_notification would be
the relevant date. [553 B-F]
G
H
550
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[ 1977] 1 S.C.R.
A
Land Acquisition Officer, City Improvement Tmst Board v. H. Naravanaiah
etc., etc. [1977] 1 S.C.R. 178, followed.
·
Venkatamma v. Special Land Acquisition Officer (AIR 1972 Mysore 193)
overruled.
.
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 2539 of 1972.
B ·
(From the Judgment and Order dated 10-3-1972 of the Mysore
High Court in Misc. First Appeal No. 234/70)
c
D
E
F
G
H
H. S. Parihar for I. N. Shroff, for the Appellant.
K. R. Nagaraja and P. N. Pu;i for the Respondent.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
BEG, J.
The judgment of a Division Bench of the Mysore High
Court under appeal before us after certification of the case as fit for an
appeal to m, follows the decision of a Full Bench of that Cou>:t in
Venkatamma v. Special Land Acquisition officer.(')
The Full Bench
had held that the date for the determination of compensation under
the provisions of section 23 ( 1) of the Land Acquisition Act, which
was to be applied to acquisitions under the City of Mysore Improvement Act 3 of 1903 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Mysore Act') . was
the date of notification under section 18 o~ the Act corresponding to
section 6 of the Acquisition Act.
Recently, we have had to deal with a case in which the provisions
of the City of Bangalore Improvement Act, 1945, corresponding substantially with those of the Act now before us, were interpreted by us.
The provisions of· Sections 14, 16 and 18 of the Mysore Act of 1903,
as well as the Bangalore Act of 1945 are identical.
And, the pro-·
visions of section 23 of the Mysore Act are identical with those of
Section 27 of the Bangalore Act.
Therefore, a Division Bench of
the Karnataka High Court considered itself bound by the Full Bench
decision of the Mysore High Court (subsequently the Karnataka High
Court) on the provisions of the Mysore Act of 1903 even in interpreting the Bangalore Act of 1945. But, this Court held, in the Land
Acquisition Officer, City Improvement Trust Board v. H. Narayanaiah
etc. etc.,(') that the Division Bench decision of the Karnataka High
Court holding that the market value, for the purposes of compensation, must be determined with reference to the date of r,otification
under section 18 of the Bangalore Act, was erroneous.
It, therefore,
allowed the appeals from the judgment of the Division Bench of the
Karnataka High Court which had purported to follow the Full Bench
decision of th~ Mysore Act of 1903.
The main
argument in the appeal
before us is that this Cou~t
had observed in Narayanaiah's case (supra) that the Full Bench decI"
sion related to an interpretation of provisions of an Act as it stood in
-·----
---.
(1) A.I.It. 1972 Mysore 193.
(2) [1977] 1 S.C.R. 178.
I
J,
LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER V. P. GOVINDAN (Beg, .T.)
551
1903, when the date of market value,
to be determined for purposes
of compensation, was the date of notification under section 6 of the
Acquisition Act.
That date was ~ub~equently c~ang~d by the Mysore Act 1 of 1927 to that of pubhcat1on and notificat10n under Section 4 ( 1) of the Acquisition Act. It is true that this Court did observe
that this difference was vital.
In doing so, it had accepted
the
argument put forward on behalf of the Land Acquisition Officer.
But,
A
it had not decided what was the real meaning of provisions of Section
23 of the Mysore Act which correspond with section 27 of the Bangalore Act.
Section 23 of the Mysore Act now before us reads as follows
"23.
The ·acquisition otherwise than by agreement of
land within or without the City under this
Act shall be
regulated by the provisions, so far as they are applicable,
of the Land Acquisition( Act, 1894, and by the following
further provisions, namely::--
( 1) Upon the passing of a resolution by the Board that an
improvement scheme under section 14 is necessary in
respect of any locality, it shall be lawful for any person
either generally or specially authorised by the Board in
this behalf and for his servants and workmen, to do
all such acts on or in respect of land in that locality
as it would be lawful for an officer duly authorised by
Government to act under section 4(2) of the Land
Acquisition Act, and for his servants and workmen,
to do thereunder, and the .provision contained in section 5 of the said Act shall likewise be applicable in
respect of damage caused by any of the acts first mentioned.
(2) The publication of a
declaration
under
section 18
shall be deemed to be the publication of a declaration
under section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act.
(3) For the purposes of,section 50(2) of the Land Acquisition Act, the Board shall be deemed to be local authority concerned.
( 4) After the land vests in the Government under section
16 of the Land Acquisition Act, the Deputy Commissioner shall, upon payment of the cost
of the
acquisition, and upon the Board agreeing to_ pay any
further costs which may be incurred on account of the
acquisition, transfer the land to the Board, and the
land shall thereupon vest in the Board".
The reasoning of the Full Bench of the Mysore High Court, which
did not appeal to this Court in Narayanaiah's case (supra), was that,
since a declaration under section 18 of the Act was equated with section 6 of the Acquisition Act, proceedings under section 4 ( 1) of the
Acquisition Act could only be equated with the stage of a resolution
B
c
D
E
F
G
H
A
B
c
D
E
F
G
H
552
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[ 1977] 1 s.c;.R.
under section 14(1) of the _Act which was anterior to the declatation
under section 18 of the Mysore Act.
Section 16 of the Act is also
anterior to Section 18.
This Court found that, although the procedure laid down in section 16 of the Bangalore Act:, which corresponds
exactly with section 16 of the Mysore Act now before us, is more
elaborate than the procedure under section 4(1) of the Acquisition Act,
yet, the purpose of section 16 of the Bangalore Act was the same as
that of section 4( 1) of the Acquisition Act,
we think that this reasoning applies equally to the provisions of the Mysore Act.
It is true that it can be more plausibly argued, with regard to the
provisions of Mysore Act of 1903, that the market value for acquisition under this Act should be determined with reference to the Acquisition Act as it stood in 1903.
After carefully considering this point of
view, we think that such a departure from the generally accepted
procedure which regulates acquisition ·and compensation for it unde1'
similar Acts in the State of Mysore as weU as under Land Acquisition
Act today has to be justified by something more explicit, express and
substantial than the mere date of enactment of the Mysore Act.
If
Section 23 ( 1) of the Acquisition Act lays down, as we think it does,
the only procedure for award of compensation, it has to be followed
as it exist at the time of acquisition proceedings.
No one has
a
vested right in a particular procedure.
It is a fair interpretation of
section 23 of the Mysore Act of 1903 to hold that it means that, whatever may be the procedure there, with regard to matters regulating
compensation under the Acquisition Act,: at the time of acquisition
proceedings, will apply to acquisition under the Mysore Act.
If the procedure that the market value should be determined with
reference to section 6 of the Acquisition Act had been replaced, by an
amendment of 192 7. by the provision that the relevant date will be
the date of notification under section 4(1) of the Acquisition Act, we
will really have to determine what is the equivalent in the Mysore Act
of proceedings under section 4(1) of the Acquisition Act.
The provision relating to determination of compensation with reference to
Section 6 having disappeared was no longer available to be applied
at all on the date of the acquisition with which we are now concerned .
. Hence, to argue that the equivalent of section 6 notification under the
Acquisition Act should govern even proceedings commenced after the
amendment would be to apply what had ceased to exist long before
the proceeding commenced.
The amendment of section 23 ( 1) of
the Acquisition Act meant a legally valid substitution of the notification nnder section 4(1) for the one under section 6 of the Acquisition
Act.
This implied an
effective repeal
and
replacement.
In
such
a
situation,
according
to
section
6
of
the
Mysore
General Clauses' Act, only proceedings commenced before the repeal
would be governed by the unamended procedure.
We think ti1,tt the
language of section 23 of the Mysore Act applies the provisions of the
Acquisition Act to acquisitions nnder the Mysore Act, except to the
extent of express deviation by the Mysore Act from tl1e general pror:edure in the Acquisition Act as amended from time to time.
The
procedure contained in the Acquisition Act, for the time being, did
•
I
.,. I
z..
'·
,
·I
LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER V. P. GOVINDAN (Beg, J.)
553
need· to be expressly applied once again after each amendment of the
Acquisition Act, as the Mysore High Court seems to have opined. It
was enough to lay down, as section 23 of the Mysore Act does, that
the general procedure found in thei Acquisition Act will apply except
to the extent it was inapplicable.
This means that amendments of
the procedure in the Acquisition Act will apply if it is capable of application.
ln the case before us, the preliminary notification under section
16 of the Mysore Act of 1903 was published on 27th May, 1965.
This we equate with notification under section 4( 1) of the Acquisition
Act for reasons we have already given in Narayanaiah's case (supra).
At that time, there was no date other than the date of the notification
under section 4(1) of the Acquisition Act prescribed for ascertainment
of the market value, as a matter of correct procedure for determining
compensation. The procedure under the unamended Act may have had
relevance for acquisition proceedings begun before the amendment of
the Acquisition Act in 1927 when it really existed.
But, we think
that it is a fair interpretation of the provisions of Section 23 of the
Mysore Act to hold that compensation for acquisitions will be general provisions of the Acquisition Act as they exist on the date of a
particular acquisition proceeding except to the extent to which a
different procedure is expressly laid down in the Mysore Act.
On the
view we take, the market value of the property acquired had to be
determined with reference to the date of notification under Section .16
of the Mysore Act.
Consequently, we set aside the judgment and order of the Mysore
High Court.
We remand the case to the High Court for determination of the market value and disposal of the case in accordance with
the law as declared by us.
The parties will bear their own costs
throughout.
V.P.s,
Appeal allowed.
A
B
c
D
E