Judgment

S.N. Phukan, J.-This appeal is directed against the Judgment and Order passed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur in Misc. Petition No. 1826 of 1993.

2. A few facts leading to this appeal deserve to be noted at the outset for highlighting the grievance of the appellant in the present appeal.

3. The Central Government, Ministry of Production wrote a letter dated 8th January, 1955 to the Chief Secretaries of the States of West Bengal, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. In this letter it was indicated that it was under consideration of the Central Government to establish Russian technical assistance steel plants at three places in the three States. For this purpose a piece of land measuring about 50 sq. miles, would be required. Therefore, the Central Government by letter dated the 8th January, 1955 wanted to know from the State Governments wheth­er the Governments would be prepared to accord facilities. The said three facilities are stated below:-

“(1) 50 sq. miles of land, free to the extent it is the property of the State Government, and guarantee of a ceiling cost for the acquisition of privately owned land it being understood that any cost in excess of the gu