In this regard, the learned counsel for the petitioners relied
upon the Judgment reported in 2013 (11) SCC 228 in the case of
Gurbinder Kaur Brar and another Vs. Union of India and others. The
relevant portion of the Judgment is extracted hereunder :
The case of Gurbandarcor Brar [supra] was in
the context of rejection of larger number of
substantive objections without assigning reasons as an
outcome of nonapplication of mind by the competent
authority and the Apex Court deprecated the system of
governance prevailing in present day scenario and
tendency of junior officers in administration acting
at dictates of their superiors and accordingly it was
held that failure to examine substantive grounds on
which land owners have objected the land acquisition
result into miscarriage of justice.
33. To our mind, though in Surinder Singh Brars' case, the issue
was mainly that procedure had not been followed so as to benefit some
private interest of building/construction companies, however, the law laid
down in that case, as also reiterated in Gurbinder Kaur Brars' case, as seen
VIKAS CHANDER2014.09.05 10:10I attest to the accuracy andintegrity of this documentChandigarh CWP No.9638 of 2005 -14-
above, is that it is the Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh,
alone, who is the Competent Authority to sanction acquisition proceedings
in respect of any land sought to be compulsorily acquired under the Land
Acquisition Act, 1894, and that such authority cannot be delegated to the
Advisor to the Administrator.
Another decision of the hon'ble Apex court in Gurbinder
Kaur Brar and Anoher v. Union of India and Others
[2013 KHC 4573] was cited to contend that, illegality if
any existing at the time of initiation of the land acquisition
proceedings cannot be saved by virtue of any declaration
under the relevant provisions of the Land Acquisition Act.
Few more decisions were also cited in order to contend that
exercise of the statutory powers vested under the Act must
be based on reasonable grounds and cannot lapse into
arbitrateness or caprice, and also to contend that
notification issued under the Act, if found to be illegal on
the grounds of malafide exercise of power, then it cannot
be cured and the State Government cannot be allowed to
proceed further with acquisition in such case, which will
amount to colourable exercise of power vested on the
authority.
19. In view of the various decisions rendered in the same matter
which have attained finality, it would not be appropriate to take a
different view. Reliance has been placed by learned counsel for the
appellant on the decisions of this Court in Surinder Singh Brar & Ors.
v. Union of India & Ors. (2013) 1 SCC 403 and Gurbinder Kaur Brar &
16
Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. (2013) 11 SCC 228. In both the cases, the
matter was with respect to sanction for land acquisition which was not
granted by the appropriate Government i.e., the Administrator. In the
instant case, the Advisor had approved the award. Since there is ex
post facto approval and a large number of other matters have already
been dismissed, it is not considered appropriate to make interference
in this matter on the aforesaid ground, particularly when sanction for
acquisition had been granted by the appropriate authority, is not in
dispute in the instant matter.
20.Learned Additional Government Pleader appearing for the respondents relied on 2013(11) SCC 228, Gurbinder Kaur Brar v. Union of India, to contend that fresh declaration under section 6 can be issued as has been directed in the above said decision. There is no dispute with regard to the power of the Court to quash the original declaration and direct the authorities to issue fresh declaration under section 6. But the question is as to what is the period of limitation available for passing such fresh declaration. That issue was not considered by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the decision relied on by the learned Additional Government Pleader and on the other hand, the same was considered only by the Constitution Bench of the Hon'ble Supreme Court which we have referred to in detail supra. Therefore, we find the above decision relied on by the learned Additional Government Pleader is not relevant to the facts and circumstances of the present case.
8. We are unable to accept this plea for the reason that the
first paragraph of the report is a recital of the land; second paragraph is
the nature of the objections taken (without dealing them in the report)
and the third paragraph is the desirability of setting up an STP. The
desirability of STP is not in question but what is the question is the
location of it. There is no opinion whatsoever of the Collector. On the
other hand, the last paragraph which is really the recommendation is
not a recommendation but asking the superior authorities to decide the
objections. Thus the Land Acquisition Collector has abandoned his role
under Sub Section (2) of Section 5-A of the said Act to make a
recommendation on the objections leaving the issue entirely to the
concerned authorities. The concerned authorities are then required to
act upon the recommendations of the Collector but in the absence of the
recommendations, there is a legal flaw in exercise of the jurisdiction by
the Collector under Section 5-A of the said Act especially keeping in
view the observations made in Gurbinder Kaur Brar case (supra).