JUDGMENT

CHANDRACHUD, CJI.- :— This is a group of 61 Writ Petitions under Art. 32 of the Constitution, challenging the validity of the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) amendment Act, 67 of 1976, on the ground that it is violative of the provisions of arts. 14, 19 (1) (f), 19 (1) (g) and 31 of the Constitution. For understanding the basis of that challenge, it will be enough to refer to the broad facts of two representative groups of petitions. The facts of writ petitions 270 and 271 of 1977 are, by and large, typical of cases in which the petitioners claim to be lessees of coal mines, while the facts of writ petition 257 of 1977 are typical of cases in which the petitioners claim to be lessees of composite mines containing alternate seams of coal and fireclay. Most of the facts are undisputed and only a few of them are in controversy.

2. In writ petitions 270 and 271 of 1977, petitioner No. 1 claims to be the sole proprietor of S. D. Coal Company which is engaged in coal business and coal mining operations. Petitioner No. 2 is said to be the agent of the company. Both the surface and underground rights in Mouza Bundu in the District of Hazaribagh, Bihar, previously belonged to the Raja