Land Acquisiton Officer Andhra Pradesh vs A.Ramachandra Reddy Andors

The Supreme Court held that the relevant date for determining compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 is the date of the first preliminary notification, which was 3.1.1990, despite subsequent notifications. The Court clarified that the acquisition proceedings did not lapse under Section 11A due to the invocation of the urgency clause under Section 17, and thus the compensation should be based on the market value as of the first notification date. The Court upheld the Reference Court's decision to award compensation at Rs.50,000 per acre, affirming the principle that the market value should reflect the land's potential and situation.