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30. Learned counsel appearing for the appellant would further submit that Exhibit 1 is the application for grant of lease along with a map identifying the land of which lease was sought. Exhibit 4 is the Sabik settlement map of 1927-28 as revised in 1949. This map shows the location of Sabik Plot numbers in the relevant area. It is important to note that this map is relatable to the General Revenue Record finalized after 25.10.1949 which is subsequent to the execution of lease on 24.09.1949 in favour of the Appellant. In this map, a sub division of Sabik Plot No. 139 as Plot No. 139/1370 is shown. At the time the lease was executed in favour of the Appellant, Sabik Plot No.139 was a whole plot number and the Lease Deed specifically records that a portion of Sabik Plot No. 139 forms part of the entire leasehold area. Which portion of Sabik Plot No. 139 is within the leasehold area is actually the subject matter of the civil suit and it is the specific case of the plaintiff-Appellant that the leasehold area does not include the land in the newly created Sabik Plot No. 139/1370 but includes the land in the original Sabik Plot No. 139. It is further pleaded that while recording the Record of Rights, the individual extents of land in the original Plot No.139 and newly created Plot No. 139/1370 were wrongly recorded. That is how the confusion was sought to be created as to the identity of that portion of Sabik Plot No. 139 which is within the leasehold area of the appellant. That portion of the original Sabik Plot No.139 which is within the leasehold area is clearly identified in Exhibit 6 map prepared by the Khasmahal Amin in 1953 by showing the boundaries to that plot number. The details emerging from Exhibit 6 map will be elucidated in the ensuing paragraphs. Additionally, it is contended that Exhibit 6 is the Government map prepared by the Khasmahal Amin on 01.04.1953. The Appellant Association had a lease for 20.808 Acres in 1949 and a further extent was granted in 1950. The Association had requested the Government to grant another extent of land in 1953. In this context, the Khasmahal officer directed a survey of the land already held by the Association and of the land proposed to be given to the Association. Upon survey and measurement to scale, a detailed map was prepared in parallel and one copy was given to the Association and the other was retained by the Government. The map indicates the individual plot numbers and the boundaries on all sides.

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12. The Lease Deeds of 1949 and 1974 bear identical sabik leasehold plots and total lease area as follows:-

“Cuttack Cantonment Khasmahal Tauzi No. 5458 Mouza Cantonment Samil Bungalow block, Thana and Sub-Registrar Sadar, Cuttack(Thana No.197), plot No. 156, and portions of plot No.139,143,155 and 177 area Ac.20.808 decimals” vide Annex-2&3.
12.1 The relevant portion of the averments of the plaint of the OOA in TS 312 of 1991 regarding leasehold area reads as follows:-

(iii) The further objection of the appellant is that Exhibit 4 is the Sabik Settlement map of 1927-28 as revised in 1949 and the said map shows the location of Sabik Plot numbers in the relevant area. It is contended that the said map is relatable to the General Revenue Record finalised after 25.10.1949 in favour of the association and a sub-division of Sabik Plot No. 139 as Plot No. 139/1370 is shown. At the time the lease was executed in favour of the appellant, Sabik Plot No. 139 was a whole plot number and the Lease Deed specifically records that a portion of Sabik Plot No. 139 forms part of the entire leasehold area. On the said foundation, it is put forth that which por- tion of Sabik Plot No. 139 is within the leasehold area is actually the subject matter of the civil suit and it is the specific case of the appel- lant-petitioner that the leasehold area does not include land in the newly created Sabik Plot No. 139/1370 but includes land in the origi- nal Sabik Plot No. 139. It is further asserted that in the Record of Rights the location of land in the original Plot No. 139 and newly cre- ated Plot No. 139/1370 were wrongly recorded. That is how the confu- sion was caused as to the identity of that portion of Sabik Plot No. 139 which is within the leasehold area of the appellant. Reference has been made to certain assertions in the plaint. It is also set forth that the Committee failed to appreciate the fact that during 1949, i.e., after leasing out an area of acres 20.808 decimals to the Association, a set- tlement operation exclusively for Khasmahal area was undertaken which is commonly known as “Pati Settlement”. The settlement pre- pared the Record of Rights and sub-divided Plot No. 139 into two parts, i.e., Plot No. 139 and the other Plot No. 139/1370. Plot No. 139 comprises of an area of acres 1.945 decimals. Though the field posi- tion reveals that Plot No. 139 comprises of an area of acres 2.712 deci- mals, yet the said settlement could not attain finality and was closed prematurely. However, the revenue map was published with sub-divi- sion of plots which has been referred to in the suit and the written statement. Though the State Government is aware of these develop- ments of “Pati Settlement”, yet it did not produce the relevant informa- tion before the Committee and, thus, left the Committee in ambiguity in this regard. It is contended that had the Committee carried out the measurement as per the boundaries of the admitted and undeniable map Ex. 6 (Government map prepared by Khasmahal Amin on 1.4.1953), the exact extent of land, which is the subject matter of the suit, could have been ascertained. Contemporaneous crucial records which were part of the same lease transaction were omitted by the Committee. In pursuance of the application for the grant of lease by the appellant association, the Government issued a sanction order dated 29.6.1949 in which it was specifically mentioned that an area of 20.808 acres south of the cantonment road towards Tulsipur, com- prising of Plot No. 156 and portions of Plot Nos. 139, 143, 155 and 177, was to be leased to the association. Therefore, the northern boundary to the land leased out to the appellant can be inferred from this sanction order. The lease deed dated 24.9.1949 is in continuation of the sanction order and it describes the land in the schedule. How- ever, the boundary to the land or the extent of land in each plot num- ber is not mentioned in the lease deed. Therefore, the boundaries and the location of the land have to be gathered from the contemporaneous records, namely, the application with the sketch annexed and the sanction order.

38. The measurement took place in association and collaboration with both the teams. The Committee referred to the lease deeds of 1949 and 1974 which bore identical sabik leasehold plots and total lease area as acres 20.80 decimals. Referring to the application dated 21.06.1995 filed by the association for grant of permanent lease, it is noticed that Tahsildar granted lease of acres 20.808 decimals. The lease deed shows the details of the land, which is as follows:-

“Mouza- Cantonment, PS – Cuttack 197 Khata Plot No 349 139(Part) Ac.6.222 155(Part) Ac.3.856 177 (Part) Ac.0.220 81 156 Ac 7.272 30 143(Part) Ac 3.238 Total Ac 20.808 decimals.”