Uma Sahu v. State of Odisha
Case brief
What is this about?
Bench Mark Valuation; benchmark value; District Level Valuation Committee (DLVC) Ganjam Berhampur; Sub-Divisional Valuation Committee (SDVC); enhancement by percentage vs biennial revision; Rule 37 constitution/nominee expert valuer; Rules 37, 37-A, 38, 39, 40, 40(2), 41, 41-A, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and Appendix II of the Odisha Stamp Rules, 1952; Collector-cum-Chairman 10% enhancement; quashing of Annexures 3 and 4; registration of sale deeds on previous BMV; writ of mandamus; Articles 226 and 227; statutory procedure must be followed; Guruprasad Mohanty AIR 2009 (Orissa) 172 (DB); Capital Bar Association and Hrudananda Mangaraj 2013 (I) OLR 344; Orissa High Court Cuttack; A.C. Behera J.; judgment dated 22.08.2025; batch of seventy five W.P.(C) writ petitions (2024-2025); stamp duty guideline/market value; Ganjam district.
What did the court decide?
All seventy five writ petitions allowed. Annexure-3 (DLVC) and Annexure-4 (SDVC) quashed. Opposite Parties directed to constitute the District Level Valuation Committee and other Committees in accordance with Rule 37 of the Odisha Stamp Rules, 1952 and to complete fixation of the revised Bench Mark Valuation for 2024-2026 for Ganjam district as early as possible, preferably within three months. Collector, Ganjam at liberty to exercise the Rule 40(2) power to enhance the Bench Mark Valuation by ten per cent on the previously fixed 2022-2024 Bench Mark Valuation within seven days; if such intimation does not reach the District Sub-Registrar and Sub-Registrars within seven days, they shall register sale deeds on the basis of the previously fixed 2022-2024 Bench Mark Valuation until communication of the fresh/revised and approved Bench Mark Valuation of the DLVC.