The State and the respondents denial, to allot alternative land to the petitioner and seeking a direction that the respondents 1 and 2 allot him alternative land, and a declaration that the 5th respondents memo No. C/1669/96 dated 25-01-2003 is illegal and arbitrary, is the grievance and reliefs sought in this writ petition.

2. The petitioners grievance, culminating in this writ petition and in the several proceedings leading to it has had a meandering course.

The facts:

3. The petitioner was the owner of a property bearing D.No.13/6/790 including a residential house in 400 square yards and a sawmill in 514 square yards at Sangam, Langar House, Gudimalkapur, Golkonda Mandal, Hyderabad. A draft notification under Sec.4 (1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short "the Act") dated 14-11-1996 proposed acquisition of 6766 square metres, including 914 square yards (equivalent to 764.10 square metres) of the petitioners land aforementioned. The declaration under Sec.6 was published on 09-12-1997. Questioning the acquisition proceedings, the petitioner filed W.P.No. 751 of 1998. Stay of dispossession was granted by an interim order of this Court dated 12-01-1998 in W.P.M.P.No. 848 o