Judgement

CHINNAPPA REDDY, J.:- The question raised in the several appeals is primarily that of the vires of S. 44 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961 as amended by the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 1 of 1974. In order to appreciate the submissions made to us, it will be useful to set out the relevant provisions of the Act before it was amended by Act 1 of 1974. Section 2(6) as it stood before the amendment defined "basic holding" as meaning land which was equal to two standard acres. "Ceiling area" was defined as meaning land which was equal to eighteen standard acres. "Court" was defined to mean the Court of Munsif within the local limits of whose jurisdiction the land was situate. "Family holding" was defined as meaning land equal to six standard acres. "Small holder" was defined to mean a land owner owning land not exceeding two basic holdings whose total net annual income including the income from such land did not exceed one thousand two hundred rupees. "Standard acre" was defined to mean one acre of the first class of land or an extent equivalent thereto consisting of any one or more classes of land specified in Part A of Schedule I determined in accordance w