ORDER

1. Leave granted.

2. This appeal is filed against the judgment and order dated 3rd of October, 2007 passed in Writ Appeal No. 834 of 2007 whereby the High Court had dismissed the appeal of the appellants holding that in the facts and circumstances of the case, the power under Section 17 of the Land Acquisition Act (in short the "Act") was validly invoked.

3. Before we proceed further, we may note that at the time of issuing notice on the respondents, this Court on 14th of December, 2007 passed the following order :-

"Issue notice. Status quo as on today shall be maintained."

4. An application for vacating the interim order was listed for hearing on 16th of July, 2008 and the learned counsel appearing for the parties submitted before us, on instructions, that instead of hearing out the application for vacating the interim order, it would be fit and proper if the Special Leave Petition itself was decided. Accordingly, with the consent of the learned counsel for the parties, the SLP itself was taken up for hearing which was heard on grant of leave in presence of learned counsel for the parties.

5. The appellants are owners of Sy Nos. 172/1A, 2A, 2B and 173/2 totaling 18.5 Acres sit