GOPAL RAO EKBOTE, J.

( 1 ) THESE petitions filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India question the validity of the notifications issued under S. 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Slum Improvement (Acquisition of Land) Act. 1956, hereinafter called "the Act". The main attack in all these petitions is on the validity of the Act itself under which the impugned notifications were issued. These petitions raise common questions of law. They can therefore conveniently be disposed of by a common judgment.

( 2 ) A Bench of this Court thought that important questions involving far-reaching consequences both to the State as well as to the citizens are involved in the petitions which challenge the constitutional validity of the Act and has referred these cases to a Full Bench. That is how the matter has come before us. The attack on the validity of the Act is twofold; (1) under Article 14 and (2) under Article 31 (2) of the Constitution.

( 3 ) THE first contention of the learned Advocates appearing for the petitioners is that the Act is offensive of Article 14 inasmuch as it gives different treatment to the lands situated in the slum area and the lands situated outside such area without any re

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