Dollar Company, Madras vs Collector Of Madras on 1 May, 1975
5. It is now the settled position that value of the land acquired shortly before the notification under Section 4(1) of the Act is the best evidence to determine market value. See AIR 1975 SC 1670 (The Dollar Company, Madras v. Collector of Madras). In absence of such material, contemporaneous transaction of lands having similar advantages would give good guidance for determination of market value. Opinion of experts on valuation of land can be adopted as a method for determination of market value. In absence of any of these methods, market value can be determined by capitalising number of years purchase of net annual yield. What would be the multiple on basis of which capitalisation method would be adopted would very from case to case.