Compensation issue: Court attaches govt property

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">MANGALORE: The Second Additional Civil court here has issued a warrant to attach 15 cents of Deputy Commissioner''s office property, following government''s failure to pay compensation in a land acquisition case. </span><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""> </span><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">If the government fails to pay Rs 40 lakhs by June 30, the property would be publicly auctioned.The case pertains to Ramakrishna Shenoy (80), who was a resident of Kunjathbail, now almost a permanent resident of a hospital here. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Shenoy''s 3.97 acres of property at Marakada in Kunjathbail Village was acquired by the government for establishing the Coast Guard office on March 7, 1988, through a notification. As Shenoy was not completely satisfied with the compensation amount, he approached the court for justice. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The court here in January 2001 ordered the government to pay Rs 2.75 lakhs as compensation per acre. The government went in appeal against the order and in December 2003, the High Court dismissed the government’s plea and upheld the order of the civil court here -- making the lower court''s order binding. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">As per the civil court''s ruling here, the government had to pay Rs 2.75 per acre, plus 30 per cent solatium, and on that amount 15 per cent interest from 1988 -- which amounts to nearly Rs 40 lakhs. As the government failed to pay the said amount till date, the civil court issued a warrant of attachment and attached 15 cents of property at the entrance (south eastern portion) of the Deputy Commissioner''s office here. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The case is posted for hearing on June 30 to settle the terms of sale. The property will be auctioned within a month after the hearing. Legal experts said the only recourse left with the government is to pay the said amount within the date of the auction. Meanwhile the condition of Shenoy, a bachelor, is pathetic to say the least. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">A couple of years back, he suffered an injury after a fall. Now, Shenoy has decided to make the nursing home his permanent residence as he says it''s difficult to live alone, without nursing care -- as also because he was not sure of the care he would get at an old age home. </span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Regarding the court''s verdict, Shenoy, looked morose saying "what''s the use? They have made me run from pillar to post for what was legally due to me for 15 long years. The effort has left me drained. Wish it had come earlier," he told The Times of India. What he plans to do with the compensation amount? Shenoy said he will donate it to educational institutions and schools helping special children. Now it is to be seen whether the government wakes up and pays up, though late, or will allow its prime property to be auctioned in public.</span></div> </div>