ORDER

CAs Nos. 1148, 1144, 1400, 3426 of 2003 and SLPs (C) Nos. 9927, 9664 and 12084 of2003, 9621, 9154 and 9697 of2004

1.Delay condoned.

2.Leave granted in all the special leave petitions.

3. An area of about 299.25 acres of land was notified on 5-5-1997 for acquisition for residential, commercial and institutional purposes under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short "the Act"). The appellants filed objections for the proposed acquisition in respect of their pieces of land, raising several contentions including the one that they have put up structures on their lands prior to the issuance of Section 4(1) notification and actually they were living therein. When their objections were rejected and declaration was made under Section 6 of the Act, they filed writ petitions in the High Court raising various grounds inter alia contending that in the case of certain lands, where the structures were put up, they were released from acquisition and the same yardstick was not applied in their cases. The High Court dismissed the writ petitions. Hence, they are in appeals before this Court.

4. At the outset, Shri L. Nageswara Rao, learned Senior Counsel for the appellants sub