R K THOIBISANA DEVI, W/O AHONGSANGBAM NETAJI SINGH Vs. STATE OF MANIPUR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Shri A. Bimol, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners and Shri R.K. Umakanta, the learned Government Advocate appearing for the State respondents.

(2.) By this writ petition, the petitioners have prayed for quashing and setting aside the Government letter dated 18-08-2012 conveying approval to the fixation of abnormally high premium amount in respect of the allotment of land at Village No. 91-A, Lamphelpat in favour of 18 persons including the petitioners and also for issuing a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to fix a reasonable premium amount in respect thereof.

(3.) According to the petitioners, they along with eight others are all landless agricultural workers residing contiguous to the Lamphelpat area under Village No. 91(A) of Imphal West District, Manipur who formed a registered society called "The Lamphel Collective Farming Co-operative Society Ltd." and after they having reclaimed and improved about 6 acres of the marshy area of Lamphelpat, they paid Rs. 2,500/- (rupees two thousand five hundred) to the Revenue Department, Govt. of Manipur as revenue for their enjoying crops grown by them in the said area. They made an application to the concerned authority of the State Government for grant of settlement of certain arable portion of the land improved by the members of the said society which was duly recommended by the Director of Settlement & Land Records, Manipur vide its letter dated 08-04-1993 to the Under Secretary (Revenue), Government of Manipur for allotment of the said land. After having considered their application, the State Government approved the allotment of the said land measuring only 5.62 acres in favour of the petitioners and eight others for residential and agricultural purposes under Section 14(1) of the MLR & LR Act, 1960 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act") and its relevant rules made thereunder, called the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Allotment of Land) Rules, 1962 (hereinafter referred to as "the Rules"), on payment of premium by the allottees vide its letter dated 22-12-1993 addressed to the Director of Settlement & Land Records, Manipur.