# UNION OF INDIA v. KAMLABHAI HARJIWANDAS PAREKH & OTHERS

- **Citation:** [1968] 1 S.C.R. 463
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1967-09-07
- **Case number:** Civil Appeal No. 1564 of 1966
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/union-of-india-v-kamlabhai-harjiwandas-parekh-others-4121
- **Pages:** 13

## Headnote

"
"
(
"
' .
J
-~
,
'
A
c
UNION OF INDIA
v.
KAMLABHAI HARJIWANDAS PAREKH & OTHERS
September 7, 1967
IK. N. WANCHOO, C.J., R. S. BACHAWAT, V. RAMASWAMI,
G. K. MITTER AND K. S. HEGDE, JJ.]
Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act, 1952,
s. 8(3)(b"-Compensation-Arbitrator
given option to fix
market
value of property at tJie date of acquisition or twice the market
ralue of the property at the time of requisition whichever was less '
-Section whether void as violative of Constitution of India, Art.
31(~).
A plot of land in Bombay belonging to the husband of the first
respondent was requisitioned by Government for military purposes
in 1942 under r. 75A(l) of the Defence of India Rules.
In 1952 a
notification was issued under s. 7(1) of the Requisitioning and Acqui·
sition of Immovable Property Act enacted on March 14, 1952. According to the notification the land was to be acquired by Government and would vest in the Government from the date of the notiD fication. In the absence of an agreement between the parties as to
compensation, the Chief Judge of Small Causes, Bombay was ap.
pointed as arbitrator under s. 8 of the Act. Shortly thereafter the
first respondent preferred a petition in the High Court wherein it
was prayed that s. 8(3) of the Act should be declared ultra vires,
and the arbitrator should be directed to forbear from
awarding
compensation on the principles laid down in the section. Under the
impugned section the .arbitrator could award as compensation the
E market value of the property at the date of acquisition or twice the
market value of the property at the time of requisition, 'whichever.
was less. After the hearing before the High Court the challenge
was limited to s. 8(3)(b) only, The High Court held s. 8(3)(b) to· be
ultTa vires Art. 32 of the Constitution and as such void. The Union
of India appealed with certificate under Art. 133(1\(b).
HELD: (i) The Act was passed before the Fourth Amendment
F Act of the Constitution in 1955, Its vires were to be decided on the
anvil of the Constitution as it stood before the said amendment.
[467H]
G
B
(ii) The mode prescribed in cl. (b) of s. 8(3) is arbitrary,
It
has no relation to the value of the land on the date of the notice
under s. 7 which may be. many years after the date of requisition.
It is impossible to say that the date of requisition has or can have
any connection with the date of acquisition under s. 7 In assessing
the just equivalent of the value of the property at twice the price
which the r<;<iuisitioned property would have fetched in· the open
market had 1t been sold on the date of requisition the arbitrator
would be acting arbitrarily inasmuch as he would' be proceeding
on a formula for which there is no rational basis. [ 472D-473B]
.
Clause (bl of s. 8(3) leaves no choice of .ai;sessjng the value
in terms of cl. (al. The expression 'have regard to' in sub-cl. (e)
of sub-s. (I). of s. 8 therefore did not give the arbitrator any freedom of considering the two modes laid down in sub-<;
(3) and
accepting the one which he thought fair. [473C]
·
State of .West Bengal ·v. Mrs .. Bela Baner_jee and Ors .. [1954]
S.C.R.. 558: State. of Madra.s ".· D. Nam~va11a Mudaliar, [1964] 6
S.C.R. 936; P. V.a3ravalu MU!ialiar v. Special Deputy Collector, [1965]
4Gi
Sl'PREllE C0L'R1' REPORTS
[1968] l 8.C.R.
1 S.C.R. 614; N. B. Jeejeebhoy v. Assistant Collector, [1965] 1 S.C.R. A.
636: and Ruots of Gerabandho v. Zamindar of Parlakimedi. 70 I.A.
1~9. considered.
East Ramnad Electric Distribution Co.
v.
State of Madras,
[1963] 2 S.C.R. 747. distinguished.
In holding that the petitioner before it was not guilty of any
hches the High Court was deciding a matter within its discretion. B
This Court will not normallv interfere with the exercioe of such
discretion. [ 475C]
-
Zacharia v. Republic of Cyprus [1963]
-~.C. 634, referred to.

## Text

"
"
(
"
' .
J
-~
,
'
A
c
UNION OF INDIA
v.
KAMLABHAI HARJIWANDAS PAREKH & OTHERS
September 7, 1967
IK. N. WANCHOO, C.J., R. S. BACHAWAT, V. RAMASWAMI,
G. K. MITTER AND K. S. HEGDE, JJ.]
Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act, 1952,
s. 8(3)(b"-Compensation-Arbitrator
given option to fix
market
value of property at tJie date of acquisition or twice the market
ralue of the property at the time of requisition whichever was less '
-Section whether void as violative of Constitution of India, Art.
31(~).
A plot of land in Bombay belonging to the husband of the first
respondent was requisitioned by Government for military purposes
in 1942 under r. 75A(l) of the Defence of India Rules.
In 1952 a
notification was issued under s. 7(1) of the Requisitioning and Acqui·
sition of Immovable Property Act enacted on March 14, 1952. According to the notification the land was to be acquired by Government and would vest in the Government from the date of the notiD fication. In the absence of an agreement between the parties as to
compensation, the Chief Judge of Small Causes, Bombay was ap.
pointed as arbitrator under s. 8 of the Act. Shortly thereafter the
first respondent preferred a petition in the High Court wherein it
was prayed that s. 8(3) of the Act should be declared ultra vires,
and the arbitrator should be directed to forbear from
awarding
compensation on the principles laid down in the section. Under the
impugned section the .arbitrator could award as compensation the
E market value of the property at the date of acquisition or twice the
market value of the property at the time of requisition, 'whichever.
was less. After the hearing before the High Court the challenge
was limited to s. 8(3)(b) only, The High Court held s. 8(3)(b) to· be
ultTa vires Art. 32 of the Constitution and as such void. The Union
of India appealed with certificate under Art. 133(1\(b).
HELD: (i) The Act was passed before the Fourth Amendment
F Act of the Constitution in 1955, Its vires were to be decided on the
anvil of the Constitution as it stood before the said amendment.
[467H]
G
B
(ii) The mode prescribed in cl. (b) of s. 8(3) is arbitrary,
It
has no relation to the value of the land on the date of the notice
under s. 7 which may be. many years after the date of requisition.
It is impossible to say that the date of requisition has or can have
any connection with the date of acquisition under s. 7 In assessing
the just equivalent of the value of the property at twice the price
which the r<;<iuisitioned property would have fetched in· the open
market had 1t been sold on the date of requisition the arbitrator
would be acting arbitrarily inasmuch as he would' be proceeding
on a formula for which there is no rational basis. [ 472D-473B]
.
Clause (bl of s. 8(3) leaves no choice of .ai;sessjng the value
in terms of cl. (al. The expression 'have regard to' in sub-cl. (e)
of sub-s. (I). of s. 8 therefore did not give the arbitrator any freedom of considering the two modes laid down in sub-<;
(3) and
accepting the one which he thought fair. [473C]
·
State of .West Bengal ·v. Mrs .. Bela Baner_jee and Ors .. [1954]
S.C.R.. 558: State. of Madra.s ".· D. Nam~va11a Mudaliar, [1964] 6
S.C.R. 936; P. V.a3ravalu MU!ialiar v. Special Deputy Collector, [1965]
4Gi
Sl'PREllE C0L'R1' REPORTS
[1968] l 8.C.R.
1 S.C.R. 614; N. B. Jeejeebhoy v. Assistant Collector, [1965] 1 S.C.R. A.
636: and Ruots of Gerabandho v. Zamindar of Parlakimedi. 70 I.A.
1~9. considered.
East Ramnad Electric Distribution Co.
v.
State of Madras,
[1963] 2 S.C.R. 747. distinguished.
In holding that the petitioner before it was not guilty of any
hches the High Court was deciding a matter within its discretion. B
This Court will not normallv interfere with the exercioe of such
discretion. [ 475C]
-
Zacharia v. Republic of Cyprus [1963]
-~.C. 634, referred to.
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 1564 of
1966.
Appeal from the judgment and order dated August 7, 1964 c:
of the Bombay High Court in Misc. Petition No. 378 of 1962.
G. N. Dikshit, S. P. Nayar for R. H. Dhebar, for the appellant.
S. Sorabji, A. J. Rana, P. C. Blwrtari and J. B. Dadachanji
for respondent No. I. ·
I. N. Shroff, for intervener No. I.
J. B. Dadachanji for intervener No. 2.
The Judgment Of the Court was delivered by
Mitter, J. This is an appeal by a certificate under Art.
D
l 33(l)(c) of the Constitution granted by the High Court of Bombay E
against the judgment of that court dated August 7, 1964. in Miscellaneous Petition No. 378 of 1962 declaring cl. (b) of sub-s. (3)
of s. 8 of the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable
rroperty Act, 1952 (Act 30 of 1952) including the words "whichever is less" ultra vires Art. 31 (2) of the Constitution and as such
rnid.
The facts are as follows. On May 2, 1942 a plot of land
bearing S. No. NA-29-A of Juhu, Bombay, was requisitioned for
the purposes of the Union of India under r. 75-A(I) of the Defence
of India Rules for military purposes. Jt is common case that this
plot of land was acquired for the construction of a road leading
to a military aerodrome at Juhu during the last war. The land
originally belonged to the husband of the first respondent who
claims to have succeeded to it by virtue of a will. The owner of
the plot was receiving compensation for the requisition until
December 29, 1952 when a notification was issued under s. 7(1)
of the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act
enacted on March 14. 1952, hereinafter referred to as the Act.
The notification was to the effect that the land was being acquired
by the Government of India, Ministry of Works, Housing and
Supply, that it would vest in the Government from the date
of the notification and there was a declaration of vesting in the
notification itself. As a result of the notification. the owner of the
F
G
R
,.
~0-
:c...
"..,
'
~
UNION II K.H. PAREKH (Mitter, J,)
465
A land became entitled to claim ·compensation. The second re&-
pondent, hereinafter referred to as the Collector of Bombay,
offt;red· compensation at the rate of Ra. 11 per sq. yard on February 20, 1961. The petitioner, the lint respondent herein, claimed
at the rate of Rs. 100 per sq. yard plus the usual 15 % solatium
for compulsory acquisition. In the absence of an agreement betB ween the parties, the Chief Judge, Court of Small Causes, Bomba:y:
was appointed as arbitrator under s. 8 of the Act. The· arbitrator
gave notice to the petitioner to put in her claim and also to the
Government of India to put in its statement of valuation. The
petitioner claimed compensation at the rate of Rs. 75 per sq. yard
plus 15 % solatium for compulsory acquisition while the offer of
the State was only Rs. 11 per sq. yard without any sola.tium.
C Before the arbitrator could make much headway in the matter.
the first respondent preferred a petition in the High Court of
Bombay on September 18, 1962 wherein the main prayers were
(I) a declaration that the provisions of s. 8(3) of the Act were
unconstitutional as infringing Arts. 31(2), 19(l)(f) and 14 of the
Constitution of India, and (2) the issue. of an appropriate writ
D directing the arbitrator to forbear from awarding compensation on
the principles laid down in s. 8(3) of the Act and commanding
him to award iust and proper compensation in a.ccordance with
law.
The Union of India filed an affidavit in opposition affirmed
by an Executive Engineer of the Bombay Aviation Division
E wherein many and diverse objections were raised to the petition.
Before the High Court, counsel for the petitioner confined the
challenge to the validity of s. 8(3) of the Act to cl. (b) only. The
arguments advanced on behalf of the Union of India were : m
that s. 8(3) of the Act did not infringe any of the Articles of
the Constitution mentioned in the petition and (2) that the petitioner was entitled to no relief because of the delay in presentaF tion of the petition to the High Court.
The High Court negatived the contentions put forward on
behalf of the Union of India and allowed the petition holding that
cl. (b) including the words "whichever is less" of sub-s. (3) of
s. 8 of the Act was ultra vires Art. 31 of the Constitution and as
such void. The court gave a direction that the assessment of com·
G pensation would. have to be made subject to this declaration.
Hence the appeal.
In order to appreciate the contention put forward on behalf
of the Union of India, it is necessary to refer to a few sections of
the Act. The preamble shows that it was an Act to provide for
the requisitioning and acquisition of immovable property for. the
H purposes of the Union. As originally enacted, it was to remain in
force for a period of twelve years from the date of its institution.
but subsequently its life has been prolonged till the !'4th of March
1970. S. 24 of the Act repealed several ena.ctments therein men·
tioned, but any property which immediately before such repeal
'J/J(N)6SCI-4
466
BUPREllli OOUR).' RllPORTS
(1968] l s.c.14
was sbuject to requisition under· the provision of any of the said A
Acts was to be deemed to be property requisitioned under s. 3
of the Act and all the provisions of the Act were to apply accordingly. It is agreed between the parties that the property which
was originally requisitioned in 1942 was to be treated as requisitioned under s. 3 of the Act. Under s. 7(1) it became competent
to the Central Government, if it was of opinion that it was neces- B
sary to acquire the property already ,subjected to requisition for
a public purpose, to acquire the same by publishing in the Offi.
cial Gazette a notice to the effect that the Central Government
had decided to acquire the property in pursuance of the section.
The proviso to this sub-section is to the effect that before such
a notice is issued the Central Government must call upon the
owner or other persons interested in the property to show cause C
why the same should not be acquired aod the order under the
section could only be made after considering the cause, if any,
shown and giving the parties an opportunity of being heard.
Under sub-s. (2) of the section,
"When a notice as aforesaid is published in the
Official Gazette, the requisitioned
property
shall, on
D
antl from the beginning of the day on which the notice
is so published, vest absolutely in the Central Government free from all encumbrances and the period of requisition of such property shall end."
Sub-s. (3) of the section mentions the circumstances which must
obtain for a property to be acquired under the section.
E
S. 8 of the Act has a marginal note "principles and method
of determining compensation". Under cl. (a) of sub-s. (I) of s. 8
compensation is to be paid in accordance with the agreement, if
any. reached between the owner and the Government. If no such
agreement can be reached, an arbitrator has to be appointed for F 1
the purpose in terms of cl. (b). Under cl. (cl it is open to the
Central Government to nominate a person having expert knowledge as to the nature of the property requisitioned or acquired
to assist the arbitrator in which case the person to be compensated
has a similar right of nominating his assessor. Under cl. (di· the
Central Government and the person to be compensated must state
what in their respective opinion is a fair amount of compensa- G
tion. at the commencement of the proceedings. 'As the main contention hinges on the interpretation of sub-cl. (e) of sub-s. (I)
read with sub-ss. (2) and (3), it is necessary to set out the smile
in extenso. S. 8(1)(e) reads as follows:
"Where any property is requisitioned or acquired
under this Act, there shall be paid compensation the
H
amount of 'which shall be determined in the manner and
in accordance with the. principles hereinafter set out. that
is to say,-
(a) to (d~
A
B
c
D
B
F
G
l'NION ti x.a. PAREK.11'. (Mittef', J.)
(e) the arbitrator shall, after hearing the
dispute,
make an·award determining the amount of compensation
which appears to him to be just and specifying the person
or persons to whom such compensation shall be paid; and
in making the award, he shall have regard to the circumstances of each case and the provisions of sub-sections (2)
and (3), so far as they are. applicable;"
Sub-ss. (2) and (3) read:
"(2) The amount of compensation payable for the
requisitioning of any property shall consist of-
(a) a recurring payment, in respect of the period of
requisition, of a sum equal to the rent which would have
been payable for the. use and occupation of the property
if it had been taken. on lease for tha.t period : and
(b) such sum or sums, if any, as may be found necessary to compensate the person interested for all or any
of the following matters, namely : -
(i) pecuniary loss due to requisitioning;
(ii) expenses on account of vacating the requisitioned
premises;
(iii) expenses on account of reoccupying the premises
upon release from requisition; and
(iv) damages (other than normal wear and tear) caused
to the property during the· period of requisition.
including the expenses that may have to be incurred for restoring the property to the condition in
which it was at the time of requisition.
(3) The compensation payable for the acquisition of
any property under section 7 ·shall be-
(a) the price which the requisitioned property
would have fetched in the open market, if it had remained in the same condition as it was at the time of requisitioning and been sold oil the date of acquisition. or
(b) twice the price which the requisitioned property
wouJd have fetched in the open market if it had been
sold on the date of requisition, whichever is less."
.
The Act was passed before the Fourth Amendment Act of
B the Constitution in 1955. Its vires is to be decided on the anvil of
the Constitution as it stood before the said amendment. Several
decisions of pus Court have laid down the principles for testing
the vlres of State Acts providing for compensation for acquisition
of land. for public purposes.
SUPBllD COURT BBl'OBTS
{1968) I S.!).11.
In The State of West Bengal v. Mrs. Bela Banerjee and £.
others(') the Court examined the question as to what compensation for property acquired meant under .Art. 3H2) of the Constitution. There the impugned West Bengal Act of 1948 in effect
provided that in determining the amount of com~ation to be
awarded for land acquired in pursuance of the Act, the excess
of the market value of the same on the date of the publication of B
the notification under sub-s. (l) of s. 4 of the Land Acquisition
Act for the notified area over its market value on 31st December
1946, shall not be taken into consideration. Virtually this meant
that no matter when the property was acquired, the owner could
get compensation which was equivalent to its value on 31st December, 1946. This date was taken in view of the fact that largescale immigration of people from East Bengal to West Bengal C
had taken place round about that date. There,
the AttomeyGeneral had argued that the word "compensation" in the context
of Art. 31 (2) read with entry 42 of List III did not mean in any
rigid sense equivalence in value but had a reference to what the
legislature might think was a proper indemnity for the loss sustained by the owner. Negativing this argument Sastri, C. J. said D
at p. 563:
"While it is true that the legislature is given the discretionary power of laying down the principles which
should govern the determination of the amount to be
given to the owner for the property appropriated, such
principles must ensure that what is determined as payable
must be compensation, that is, a just equivalent of what
the owner has been deprived of. Within the limits of this
basic requirementof full indemnification of the expropriated owner, the Constitution allows free play to legislative
judgment as to what principles should guide the determination of the amount payable . .Whether such principles
take into account all the elements which make up the
true value of the property appropriated and exclude matters which are to be neglected, is a justiciable issue to be
adjudicated by the court."
E
F
The Court held that the fixing of the market value on December 31, 1946, as the ceiling on compensation, without reference G
to the value of the land at the time of the acquisition was arbitrary and not in compliance with the requirements of Art. 31(2).
The learned Chief Justice went on to add:
"The fixing of an anterior date for the ascertainment
of value may not, in certain circumstances, be a violation
of the constitutional requirement as, for instance, when
the proposed scheme of acquisition becomes known
before it is la,unched and prices rise sharply in anticipation of the benefits to be derived under it, but the fixing
(') [1954] S.C.R. 558.
H
•
UNION V K.B. PABEKll (MiJfa', J,)
of an anterior date, which might have no relation to the
value of the land when it is acquired, may be; many years
later, cannot but be regarded as arbitrary ................. .
Any principle for '<letermining compensation which denies
to the owner this increment in value cannot result in the
ascertainment of the true equivalent of the land appropriated."
In State of Madras v. D. Namasivaya Mudaliar(') the provision as to compensation for compulsory acquisition of land under
Madras Lignite (Acquisition of Land) Act, 1953 came up for
· consideration by this Court. The point canvassed before the Court
with which we are concerned was, whether the provision with
c regard to com~ation to be assessed on the market value of
the land prevailing as in August 28, 1947 and not on the date on
which notification was issued under s. 4(1) of the Land Acquisition
Act was in violation of Art. 31 (2). On the assumption that April 28,
194 7 was the date on which lignite deposits were discovered in the
area to which the Act was extended, the Court observed:
J)
F
" ...... there is no true relation between the acquisition of the lan'ds in these cases and fixation of compensation baSed on their value on the market rate prevailing
on April 28, 1947 .. Fixation of compensation for compulsory ~cquisition of lands notified many years after that
date;'on the market value prevailing on the date on which
lignite was discovered is wholly arbitrary and inconsistent
with the Jetter and spirit of Art. '.3'1 (2) as it stood before
it was amended by the Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act, 1955. If the owner is by a constitutional
guarantee protected against expropriation of his property
other\vise than for a just monetary equivalent, a Jaw
which authorises acquisition of land not for its true value,
but for value frozen on some date anterior to the acquisitiort, on the assumption that a!I appreciation in its value
since. that date is .attributable to purposes for which the
Stille may use the land at some time in future, must be
regarded as infringing the fundamental right'\
As learned counsel for the appellant· relied on certain ob-
& servations in this judgment at page 944, the same may be quoted
.here :
B
"The right which is guaranteed is undoubtedly the
right to a just indemnification for Joss, and appreciatiop
in the market value of the land because of the proposed
acquisition may in assessing compensation be ignored.
Even the Land Acquisition Act provides for assessment
of compensation on the basis of market value of the land
not on the date on which interest of the owner of land
(') [1964] 6 S.C.R. 936.
470
SUPBBJOI COURT REPORTS
[1968] I s.0.11.
is extinguished under s. 16, but on the basis of market
value prevailing on the date on which the notification
under s. 4(1) is issued. Whether this rule in ali cases irrespective of subsequent developments ensures just indemnification of the ··expropriated owner so as to be
immune from attack, does not call for comment in this
case. But any principle for determination of compensa.-
tion denying to the owner all increments in value between a fixed date and the date of issue of the notification
under s. 4(1), must prima facie, be regarded as denying
to him the true equivalent of the land which is expropriated and· it is for the State to show tha.t fixation of
compensation on the market value on an anterior date
does not amount to a violation of the Constitutional
guarantee."
'
After noting that it was a !natter of common knowledge tha.t land
values had risen steeply after the last world war, the judgment
proceeded : ·
"To deny to the owner of the land compensation at
rates which justly indemnify him for his loss by awarding him compensation at rates prevailing ten years before
the date on whlch the notification under s. 4(1) was
issued amounts in the circumstances to a flagrant infringement of the fundamental right of the owner of the
land under Art. 31(2) as it stood when the Act was
enacted."
On· October 5, 1964 judgments were delivered in two cases
where the la.w on the subject came to be examined again. In
P. Vajrave/11 Mudaliar v. Special Deputy 'Collector(') it was said
at p. 625:
A
B
c
D
E
"It may, therefore, be taken as settled law that under
F
Art. 31(2) of the Constitution before the Constitution
(Fourth Amendment) Act, 1955. a person whose land
was acquired was entitled to compensation i.e. a "just
equivalent" of the land of which he was deprived."
It is to be noted that in Vajravelu Mudaliar's case(') the
Constitutional validity of the Land Acquisition (Madras Amend- G
ment) Act, 1961 (Act 23 of 1961) was before this Court. In N. B.
Jeejeebhoy v. Assistant Collector(') the requisite notification under
s. 4 of the Land Acquisition Act was issued in May 1948 and
· that under s. 6 in August 1949. the possession of the land being
taken in December 1949. The Land Acquisition Officer and the
District Court awarded compensation in accordance with the H
Land Acquisition (Bombay Amendment) Act, 1948 on the basis of
the value. of the lands as on January I, 1948 and not upon
(') [1965] 1 S.C.R. 614.
(') [1965] 1 S.C.R 636.
UNION v. K.B. P.&llkR (Mitter, J,)
471
A the value on the date of the s. 4 notification. A reference was
made to the earlier cases and it was said that Bela Banerjee's
case(') laid down the following principles : (!) The expression
"compensation" in Art. 31(2) of the Constitution meant just equivalent of what the owner has been deprived of; (2) The principles
la.id down by the legislature shall be only for the determination
B of the compensation so defined; (3) Whether the principles have
taken into account the relevant elements to ascertain the true
value of the property acquired is a justiciable issue; and (4) The
fixation of an anterior date for the ascertainment of the value of
lhe property acquired without reference to any relevant circum·
stances which necessitated the fixing of an earlier date for the
c
D
E
purpose of ascertaining the real value is arbitrary.
With regard to Art. 31(2) a twofold argument was put up
before us by learned counsel for the appellant. It was argued ~t
d. (b) of s. 8(3) should be construed with reference to s. 8(l)(e) .
. 1 t was urged that the first portion of sub-s. (1) cl. (e) reading
"the arbitrator shall, after hearing the dispute, make an
award determfning the amount of compensation which
appears to him to be just and specifying the person or
persons to whom such compensation shall be paid;"
was mandatory while the succeeding portion reading:
"and in making the award, he shall have regard to the
circumstances of each case and the provisions of subsections (2) and (3), so far as they are applicable;"
·was merely directory. It was said that the use of the expression
·"shall have regard to" so far as sub-ss. (2) and (3) were concerned
only indicated that the arbitrator was to keep the said provisions
in mind but he was not bound to guide himself strictly thereby.
According to the shorter Oxford Dictionary the phrase
"have
1? regard to" is used when 'reference to a person or thing' is intended. The exact significance of this phrase will depend on the con·
text and the setting in which it is used. The phrase finds a place
in numerous sections of the Madras Estates Land Act discussed
elaborately in Ryots of Garabandho v. Zemindar of Parlakimedi(')
There it was observed by the Judicial Committee of the Privy
G Council that the expression "have regard to" or expressions very
close to this were. scattered throughout this Act, but the exact
force of each phrase must be considered in relation to its context
and to its own subject matter. Consequently in considering the
matters to which the arbitrator appointed under s. 8 of the A~t
is to have regard, we must examine the language of the provision
B to find out whether a mere reference to the matters mentioned is
·
aimed at or whether the legislature. wanted the arbitrator to be
guided rigidly thereby.
(') [1954] S.C.R 558.
(') 70 I.A. 129.
472
HUPl\EKJli COURT l\El'Ql\TB
[1968] l s.c.11.
From the language used in s. 8, learned counsel for the ap- A.
pellant wanted to draw the inference that the expression "have
regard to" only meant that the arbitrator was to keep the matters
referred to in mind or be conscious of the same but that he was
not compelled to guide himself thereby. In other words, the contention was that although the arbitrator had to consider the
various circumstances mentioned in sub-s. (2) and modes pres- B
cribed in sub-s. (3). those circumstances or modes nowhere
·
fettered his powers of awarding compensation. We cannot accept
this proposition. The circumstances mentioned in sub-s. (2) are
not related at all to the just equivalent for the land compulsorily
acquired. These are only incidental to the requisitioning of the
property and provide for the expenses, loss or damage to which
the owner may be put as a result thereof; the measure of a just C
equivalent is indicated in sub-s. (3) alone. This sub-section leaves
no choice to the arbitrator as to which of the two modes of
assessing the compensation he is to accept. The words of sub-s.
(3) are mandatory and compel the arbitrator to accept only the
smaller figure arrived at after assessment on the two modes of
valuation.
·
D·
No exception is taken to the mode prescribed in cl. (a) of
sub-s. (3) but the mode prescribed in cl. (b) must be held to be
arbitrary. It has no relation to the value of the land at the date
of the notice under s. 7 which may be many years after the date
of requisition. In the present case, the original requisition was
made in 1942. By the deeming provision of s. 24 of the Act the
property was to be treated as requisitioned under s. 3 of the Act. E
The notice under s. 7 was given on April 2, 1953. No grounds
were shown and no circumstances were brought to. our notice
which necessitated the fixing of the date of requisition as the
one for ascertaining the real value of the property. The property
might have continued in requisition for years and it is impossible
to say that the date of requisition has or can have any connection F
with the date of acquisition under s. 7. In Bela Banerjee'.< case(')
as also in the other cases mentioned, viz .. State of Madras v. D.
Namasivaya Mudaliar('), Vajrevalu Mudaliar v.
Special Deputy
Collector(') and /eejeebhoy v .. Assistant Collector('), the date for
the assessment of compensation was mentioned in the Act itselt
In this case it is not so mentioned but such date is dependent
on the original requisition. In any case it does not give the person G
to be compensated a. just equivalent of the property he was losing
at the date of acquisition. In this case too, it can be said that the
just equivalent was frozen at the minimum of twice its value on
the- da.te of requisition.
It is common knowledge that all over
India there has been a spiralling of land prices after the conclusion of the last world war although the inflation has been greater H
in urban areas, specially round ·about the big cities than in the
(') [1954) S.C.R. 558.
(') [1964) 6 S.C.R. 936.
(') [1965) 1 S.C.R. 614.
(') [1965) 1 S.C.R. 636.
UNION ~. K. !!. PABEKI! (Mitter, J.)
473
A mofussil. Land values in post-war India are many times the corres--
ponding values before the conclusion of the last war.
Ill assessing the just equivalent of the value of the property
at twice the price which the -requisitioned property would have
fetched in the open market if it had been sold on the date of
requisition, the arbitrator would be acting arbitrarily inasmuch as
B he would be proceeding on a formula for which there is no rational.
basis.
Clause (b) of sub-s .. j3) of s. 8 leaves the arbitrator no choice
of assessing the value in terms of cl. (a) even if he was of opinion·
that the mode fixed thereunder afforded a just equivalent of the
property to its owner. He had to make his assessment in terms of
C cl. (b). The expression "have regard to" in sub-cl. (e) of sub-s. (1)
of s. 8 therefore does not give the arbitrator any freedom of
considering the two modes laid down in sub-s. (3) and accepting
the one which he thought fair.
The first point about the opening portion of cl. (e) being mandatory and the latter portion being directory cannot therefore be
D accepted. So far as sub-s. (3) is concerned, it is couched in terms
which are mandatory.
The second head of argument of learned counsel for the appellant that the impugned clause stood by itself and satisfied Art.
3 l (2) and the tests formulated in Bela Banerjee'.1· case('), is of no
substance. The passage in the judgment of this Court in State of
E Madras v. D. Namasivaya Mudaliar(') at p. 944 where reference·
was made to the fact that even under the Land Acquisition Act
of 1894 notification under s. 4 might be followed by a long interval before acquisition under s. 16 took place does not support the
contention of the appellant. There this Court_ observed that the
fixing of an anterior date for arriving at the market value of the
land did not ispo facto invalidate the acquisition, but that there
F might be circumstances which would justify such a fixation; and
it was there pointed out that it was for the State to show• that.
fixation of compensation at the market value of an anterior date
did not amount to violation of the constitutional guarantee. This,
in our opinion, the appellant has signally failed to do.
This case cannot be compared with the case of West Ramnad
G Electric Distributiori Co. v. The State of Madras(') where the
person to be compensated was given the right to choose among
several methods of valuation prescribed by s. 5 · of the Madras.
Electricity Supply Undertakings (Acquisition) Act of 1954.
In
that case also. the validitv of the Madras Act had to be examined
with reference to Art. 31(2) before its amendment in 1955. Sectfon
H 5 of the Madras Act provided that the compensation payable to
a licensee on whom an orde~ had bee_n served under s. 4 or whose
(') [1954) S.C.R. 558.
(') [1964) 6 S.C.R. 936.
(') [1963] 2 $".C.R. 747.
474
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1968] l s.c.R.
undertaking had been taken over before the commencement of A
the Act, would be determined under any of the Bases A, B and
C specified by the section as might be chosen under s. 8. Then
followed detailed provisions about these three Bases. The Court
found tha.t "in none of the three bases does the Legislature refer
to the market value of the undertaking." But according to the
Court
B
"that itself cannot justify the argument that what is iiltended to be paid by way of compensation must necessarily mean much Jess than the market value. The failure
of the legislature to refer to the fair market value cannot, in our opinion, be regarded as conclusive or even
presumptive evidence of the fact that what is intended to
o
be paid under s. 5 does not amount to a just equivalent
of the undertaking taken over. After all, in considering
the question as to whether compensation payable under
one or the other of the Bases amounts to just equivalent,
we must try to assess what would be payable under the
said basis."
The argument on behalf of the amiellant that the basis did D
not provide for the payment of just equivalent could not be accepted by this Court because of the fact that the appellant had
produced no material on which its plea could he sustained. In
this case, ·however, there is no such difficulty. Clause (a) of s. 8(3)
lays down a principle aimed at giving the owner of the land something which approximates its just equivalent on the da.te of acquiE
sition. Clause (b) however directs the arbitrator to measure the
price arrived at in terms of cl. (a) with twice the amount of monll¥
which the requisitioned property would have fetched if it had been
'Sold on the date of requisition and to ignore the excess of the
price computed in terms of cl. (a) over that in terms of cl. (bl.
The position bears a close similarity with the facts in
Bela F
Banerjee's case('), where the legislature directed that the excess of
the value of the land arrived at in terms of the Land Acquisition
Act over the value as on the 31st December, 1946 was to he
ignored. The basis provided by cl. (b) has nothing to do with the
just equivalent of the land on the date of a.cquisition nor is there
any principle for such a basis. We cannot therefore accept the
proposition . that the impugned clause satisfies the requirements G
of Art. 3 ](2) qf the Constitution.
The only other contention which remains to be noted is that
the .High Court should have refused relief on the ground of delay
m makihg the_ application under Art. 226 of the Constitution. This
_ -
was turned down by the High Court and it was pointed out that
although the original acquisition was made on 4th April 1953, so B
far as compensation was concerned, the arbitrator was appointed
.on 21st June, 1961. We were informed that the Collector assessed
n [1954J s.c.R 558.
l'NION v. K. H. PAREKH (Mitter, J.)
4'75
.A the compensation on July 2, 1962 and the petitioner approached
the Court on September 18, 1962. It was held by the High Court
that in the case of an infringement of a fundamental right under
the Constitution, mere delay would hardly affect the maintainability of the petition. The High Court . was not satisfied that there
was delay and said :
B
"In any case having regard to the importance of the
points raised and, assuming that there
was delay, we
would certainly condone the delay."
In appeal we do not feel disposed to take a different view.
If the High Court had any discretion in the ma.tier-and it is not
suggested that it had not-the exercise of such discretion ought
•C not to be over-ruled by us unless W{: are satisfied that the High
Court had "acted on some wrong principle or committed some
error of Jaw: or failed to consider matters which demand consideration". This is. the principle which the House of Lords in England
have always
followed as observed by Viscount Simonds in
Zacharia v. Republic of Cyprus(') and nothing has been shown
D to us as to why we should adopt a different principle.
The appeal therefore fails and is dismissed with costs.
Appeal dismiSl'ied.
G.C.
(') [1963] A.C. 634 at 661.