Judgment

N.P. SINGH, J.

(1) WRIT petitions and a Civil have been filed for quashing the land acquisition proceedings, which had been initiated between the years 1959 and 1965 by issuance of notifications under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act (hereinafter referred to as "the Act") but in which no awards were made up to the years 1979-80, although the declarations under Section 6 of the Act had been made in the years 1966 and 1969. The first such notification under Section 4 of the Act was issued on 13/01/1959 in respect of 24,000 acres of land. Another notification under Section 4 was issued on 24/10/1961 in respect of 16,000.00 acres of land. One such notification under Section 4 was issued on 23/01/1965. Declarations under Section 6 of the Act were issued on 16/05/1966 and 13/01/1969. The declaration dated 16/05/1966 related to 2,153 Bighas of land, whereas the declaration dated 13/01/1969 was in respect of 88 Bighas. A declaration under Section 6 had been made on 6/12/1966 in respect of 5,898 Bighas of land which is the subject-matter of controversy in other writ petitions,

(2) ACCORDING to the petitioners, having issued the declarations in respe