JUDGMENT

N. P. SINGH, J. - The State of Tamil Nadu is the appellant in these appeals. Civil Appeal No. 134 of 1980 has been filed against the judgment of the High Court of Madras in Writ Petition No. 1464 of 1974, whereas Civil Appeals Nos. 352-354 of 1980 have been filed against the judgment of the same High Court in Writ Petitions Nos. 2341-2343 of 1978. All the writ petitions had been filed on behalf of the respondent which were allowed by the High Court.

2. The respondent, a public limited company which owned and possessed 3421.14 acres of land, was engaged in composite and integrated activity of raising sugarcane on the aforesaid land and crushing it in its sugar factory. The Tamil Nadu Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling on Land) Act, 1961 (Act 58 1961), (hereinafter referred to as "the Principal Act") was published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette on 2-5-1962. According to the said Act, a ceiling of 30 standard acres of agricultural and land was fixed as the maximum holding. Under section 18(1) of the Principal Act, the surplus land has to be notified as required for public purposes and on such publication in view of Section 18(3) of the Act land specified in the notificati