A.B.N.Sinha, J.

1. All these three appeals under Sec.20 of the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957, arise out of an award, dated 16th February, 1961, made by the Tribunal constituted under Sec.14(2) of the said Act in Reference Case No. 25 of 1959. They have been all heard together and this judgment will govern all of them.

2. The facts leading to these appeals are as follows :-

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One Alfred Earnest Michell for and on behalf of an unincorporated syndicate known as the Bokaro Syndicate and one Theobore Hubet Bennerts jointly obtained a prospecting licence on 26th November, 1907 in respect of an extensive area from Maharaja Ram Narain Singh of Padma Estate in the district of Hazari-bagh. The prospecting licence carried with it a right to obtain a mining lease. The licencees assigned the said prospecting licence on the 28th of February, 1908 to M/s. Bokaro & Ramgur Ltd., the appellant in Miscellaneous Appeal No. 99 of 1961. The licence was being renewed from time to time until 1942 in which year M/s. Bokaro & Ramgur Ltd. obtained a renewal for a term of 7 years i. e. upto 1949. During the continuance of the said term, the Raja of Ramgarh, the appellant i