Suni Babu v Power Grid Corporation of India (CRP Nos. 370/2021 and 166/2022)

## **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT** **THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE V.G.ARUN** **FRIDAY, THE 16[TH] DAY OF FEBRUARY 2024 / 27TH MAGHA, 1945** **CRP NO. 370 OF 2021** **AGAINST THE ORDER/JUDGMENT OPELE 623/2013 OF VI ADDITIONAL DISTRICT COURT, ERNAKULAM** ## **REVISION PETITIONER/S:** SUNI BABU AGED 50 YEARS EETTUNGAPADI, CHERANELLOOR, KOOVAPPADY VILLAGE, KUNNATHUNAD TALUK 683 544 BY ADV P.T.JOSE ## **RESPONDENT/S:** 1 POWER GRID CORPORATION OF INDIA CONSTRUCTION AREA OFFICE, KAKKANAD, NOW IN PAO/400, 220KV SUBSTATION, KUMARAPURAM P.O., PALLIKARA, KOCHI 682 303, REP.BY DEPUTY MANAGER 2 THE SPECIAL TAHSILDAR (L.A.) POWER GRID CORPORATION OF INDIA, CHEVARAMBALAM, KOZHIKODE, NOW NEAR CIVIL STATION, KAKKANAD, ERNAKULAM DISTRICT, PIN 682 030 ## **OTHER PRESENT:** GP SYLAJA S.L. THIS CIVIL REVISION PETITION HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 20.12.2023, ALONG WITH CRP.166/2022, THE COURT ON 16.02.2024 DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: CRP Nos.370/21 & 166/22 -2- ## **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT** **THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE V.G.ARUN** **FRIDAY, THE 16[TH] DAY OF FEBRUARY 2024 / 27TH MAGHA, 1945 CRP NO. 166 OF 2022** **AGAINST THE ORDER/JUDGMENT OPELE 623/2013 OF VI ADDITIONAL DISTRICT COURT, ERNAKULAM** ## **REVISION PETITIONER/S:** POWER GRID CORPORATION OF INDIA POWER GRID CORPORATION OF INDIA LTD., CONSTRUCTION AREA OFFICE, MAVELIPURAM COLONY, KAKKANAD, COCHIN - 682 030, PRESENTLY AT CONSTRUCTION AREA OFFICE, 400/220, KV SUB STATION, KUMARAPURAM P.O, PALLIKKARA, ERNAKULAM - 683 565, REPRESENTED BY ITS SENIOR GENERAL MANAGER, PIN - 683565 BY ADV MILLU DANDAPANI ## **RESPONDENT/S:** 1 SUNI BABU W/O BABU, AGED 43 YEARS, EETTUNGAPADI, CHERANELLOR, KOOVAPPADY VILLAGE, KUNNATHUNAD TALUK, PIN - 683544 2 THE SPECIAL TAHSILDAR (LA) POWER GRID CORPORATION OF INDIA LTD. CHEVARAMBALAM, KOZHIKODE - 673 017, PIN - 673017 BY ADV P.T.JOSE **THIS CIVIL REVISION PETITION HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 20.12.2023, ALONG WITH CRP.370/2021, THE COURT ON 16.02.2024 DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:** CRP Nos.370/21 & 166/22 -3- ## **ORDER** Dated this the 16[th] day of February, 2024 These revision petitions are filed challenging the common order passed by the Additional District Judge-VI, Ernakulam in O.P. (Electricity) No.623 of 2013. The original petition was filed by the revision petitioner in CRP No.370 of 2021 (hereinafter called 'the claimant'), being dissatisfied with the compensation awarded towards the damage and loss sustained due to the drawing of 400 KV lines across his property by the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (hereinafter called 'the Corporation'). The essential facts are as under; The claimant is in ownership and possession of landed property having an extent of 46 Ares in Sy.No.40/3 of Koovappady Village in Kunnathunadu Taluk. The land was cultivated with various yielding and non-yielding trees. According to the claimant, to facilitate drawing of the lines CRP Nos.370/21 & 166/22 -4- and smooth transmission of power, large number of trees were cut from his property. The drawing of high tension lines rendered the land underneath and adjacent to the lines useless, resulting in diminution of the value of the property. In spite of the huge loss suffered by the claimant, only an amount of Rs.7,715/- was paid as compensation towards the value of yielding and non-yielding trees cut. Surprisingly, no compensation was granted for diminution in land value. Hence, the original petition was filed, seeking enhanced compensation towards the value of trees cut and diminution in land value. 2. The court below rejected the claim for enhanced compensation for the value of trees cut since no evidence in support of the claim was produced. As far as the claim for enhanced compensation towards diminution in land value is concerned, the court below relied on Ext.A7 document as well as Exts.C16 and C16(a) commission report and sketch. Relying on CRP Nos.370/21 & 166/22 -5- Ext.C16(a) sketch, it was found that no electric line was drawn over the claimant's property and only the outer corridor passes through 2.200 cents of claimant's property. For outer corridor, 20% of the land value was granted as compensation. Accordingly, the claimant was found entitled to compensation of Rs.74,773/-. Dissatisfied with the quantum of enhancement, the claimant has filed CRP No.370 of 2021, whereas the Corporation has filed CRP No.166 of 2022 contending that the enhancement ordered is far in excess of the actual damage sustained. 3. Heard Adv.P.T.Jose for the claimant and Adv.Millu Dandapani for the Corporation. 4. Learned Counsel for the claimant contended that the court below committed gross illegality in refusing to grant enhanced compensation for the loss sustained due to the cutting of valuable trees, in spite of the Advocate Commissioner assessing and reporting the loss. The findings in the Commissioner's report CRP Nos.370/21 & 166/22 -6- were not relied on by the court below for the reason that the property was inspected much after the trees were cut. The said reasoning is flawed since the trees were cut much after issuance of notification by the Corporation and the cause of action for filing the original petition arose only on payment of the initial compensation, even later. 5. It is submitted that the court below grossly erred in granting only 20% for the outer corridor. Considering the extent of damage sustained and the diminution in land value consequent to the drawing of lines, the court below ought to have granted compensation as claimed. 6. Learned Counsel for the Corporation contended that, compensation towards diminution in land value granted is exorbitant and there is no rationale in granting 9% interest on that amount. The court below also erred in relying on Ext.A7 for fixing the land value of the CRP Nos.370/21 & 166/22 -7- claimant's property. As the drawing of electric lines does not prohibit the landowner from conducting agricultural activities and putting up small structures, 20% for the outer corridor is exorbitant. 7. A careful scrutiny of the impugned order reveals that the claim for enhancement of compensation towards the value of trees cut was rightly rejected since no supporting material, other than the findings in the Advocate Commissioner's report, was made available. As found by the court below, apart from the interested testimony of a solitary witness, who is the claimant in some of the connected cases, no other independent witness was examined to prove the claim. It is also not in dispute that the trees were cut in the year 2011 and the commissioner inspected the property after a long period and had assessed the value of the trees on a comparison with the trees standing in the remaining property and nearby properties. Such CRP Nos.370/21 & 166/22 -8- comparison, having no scientific basis, is not sufficient to discard the contemporaneous valuation statement prepared by the Corporation. 8. As far as the diminution in land value is concerned, the factors to be taken into consideration, as laid down in _**KSEB v. Livisha**_ ## _**[(2007) 6 SCC 792]**_ are as under; “ _10. The situs of the land, the distance between the high voltage electricity line laid thereover, the extent of the line thereon as also the fact as to whether the high voltage line passes over a small tract of land or through the middle of the land and other similar relevant factors in our opinion would be determinative. The value of the land would also be a relevant factor. The owner of the land furthermore, in a given situation may lose his substantive right to use the property for the purpose for which the same was meant to be used.”_ On careful scrutiny of the impugned order, it is seen that the compensation was enhanced after taking all the above factors into consideration. The nature of the land, the cultivation therein, CRP Nos.370/21 & 166/22 -9- and the manner in which the land was affected by drawing of the lines have all been considered fixing the land value as well as the percentage of diminution. For the outer corridor, 20% is granted, which I find to be just and proper. As such, there is no illegality or material irregularity in the impugned order, warranting intervention by this Court in exercise of the revisional power under Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure. For the aforementioned reasons, the civil revision petitions filed by the claimant as well as the Corporation are dismissed. The Power Grid Corporation shall pay the enhanced compensation fixed by the court below within three months of receipt of a copy of this order. Sd/- ## **V.G.ARUN JUDGE** Scl/