Judgment

VENKATACHALIAH, J. :- These appeals, by certificate, preferred against the judgment dated 18-4-1970 of the Patna High Court are by M/s. Karanpura Development Company Ltd. which held certain mining leases for working coal-mines in the State of Bihar and raise questions as to appellants entitlement to compensation and the extent thereof under Section 13 of the Coal Bearing Area (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957 (Act) in respect of the appellants rights in and over the lands which vested in the Central Government pursuant to the publication of the declaration dated 15-1-1958 under Section 9(1) of the Act.

2. A brief reference to the material and necessary facts is necessary :

On 26-3-1915, the Court of Wards representing the estate of Laxmi Narain Singh Bahadur of Ramgarh Raj granted to M/s. Bird and Co. certain prospecting-licences in respect of large extents of unworked coal bearing lands in Mauza Giddi and Kar Kutta of Hazaribagh District. On 30-5-1921, the grantee, M/s. Bird and Co. transferred the prospecting-licences in favour of the appellant. In the year 1937, Raja Bahadur Kamakhya Narain Singh, upon acquiring the age of majority, sought to repudiate the prospectin