JUDGMENT

KRISHNA IYER, J :—These two batches of appeals stem from the same judgment but raise two different questions of law under the Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act, 1953 (Punjab Act X of 1953) (for short the Act), the forensic focus being turned on two different facets of Section 18 of the act. The first set of appeals relates to the right of the tenants to purchase the ownership of the common landlord, Teja, while the second set of appeals turns on principles of compensation awardable to the landlord pursuant to the vesting of ownership in the tenant.

2. Teja, the landlord, was admittedly a large land-owner under whom there were three tenants. Each of them applied for purchase of ownership under Section 18 (1) of the Act. The Assistant Collector who is the primary authority, found them eligible, fixed the price and the installments of payment and they duly de- posited the first installment The statutory consequence of such deposit was that title to the property vested in the tenants on that date. All these events took place in the early 60s. Had the scheme of agrarian reform in the Punjab been simple and had the virtue of early finality so necessary in such a measure been p