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53. In Haridwar Development Authority, Haridwar Vs. Raghubir Singh and others 2010 (11) SCC 581, the principles of 45 of 51 RFA No.384 of 2013 & other connected cases -46- adopting the belting method and whether land was to be valued uniformly at the same rate keeping in view its distance and access to the road was discussed. Accordingly, it was held that whether a compact block, as such, is acquired which in that case was 38.68 bighas for a Housing Colony, the uniform compensation which was granted was upheld. It was held that whether the land is away from the main road and which is a large tract of land without any special main road access, then a uniform rate, as such, could be given. Relevant portion of the judgment read as under:

"6. The question whether the acquired lands have to be valued uniformly at the same rate, or whether different areas in the acquired lands have to be valued at different rates, depends upon the extent of the land acquired, the location, proximity to an access road/Main Road/Highway or to a City/Town/Village, and other relevant circumstances. We may illustrate :
(A). When a small and compact extent of land is acquired and the entire area is similarly situated, it will be appropriate to value the acquired land at a single uniform rate.
(B). If a large tract of land is acquired with some lands facing a main road or a national highway and other lands being in the interior, the normal procedure is to value the lands adjacent to the main road at a higher rate and the interior lands which do not have road access, at a lesser rate.
(C) Where a very large tract of land on the outskirts of a town is acquired, one end of the acquired lands adjoining the town boundary, the other end being two to three kilometres away, obviously, the rate that is adopted for the land nearest to the town cannot be adopted for the land which is farther away from the

46 of 51 RFA No.384 of 2013 & other connected cases -47- town. In such a situation, what is known as a belting method is adopted and the belt or strip adjacent to the town boundary will be given the highest price, the remotest belt will be awarded the lowest rate, the belts/strips of lands falling in between, will be awarded gradually reducing rates from the highest to the lowest. (D) Where a very large tract of land with a radius of one to two kilometres is acquired, but the entire land acquired is far away from any town or city limits, without any special Main road access, then it is logical to award the entire land, one uniform rate. The fact that the distance between one point to another point in the acquired lands, may be as much as two to three kilometres may not make any difference.