JUDGMENT

BEG, J.:—Civil Appeals Nos. 644 to 650 of 1974 are by special leave against the judgment of a Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court. The common and principal question of law which arises is : Does the City of Bangalore Improvement Act, 1945 (hereinafter referred to as the Act or the Bangalore Act), applying the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act. 1894 (Central; Act 1 of 1894) (hereinafter referred to as the Acquisition Act), to acquisitions of land in Bangalore require the determination of market value, for purposes of awarding compensation, on a date corresponding to the date of notification under Section 4 of the Acquisition Act or to the date corresponding to that of the notification under Section 6 of the Acquisition Act ?

2. The facts of the cases are not really material for the determination of the question of law stated above. A few facts relating to the lands acquired may, however, be mentioned, They have a bearing on a connected question dealt with at the end of this judgment.

3. The seven appeals by special leave arise out of land acquisition proceedings in which the 1st of the preliminary notifications, under Section 16 of the Bangalore Act, took place in