CHAUDHARY SIA SARAN SINHA, J.

1. First Appeals 11 to 24, each of the year 1966, arise out of a common judgement dated 21-8-1965 of the learned special Land Acquisition Judge II, Patna, by which he disposed of 185 land acquisition cases. All these 185 land acquisition cases arose on references being made under Sec.18 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (Act 1 of 1894). Two of the several awardees were Jute and Gunny Brokers Private Limited, referred to the impugned judgement as Birla Company and M/s. Surajmal Mohta and Company (hereinafter referred to as the company). These two awardees are appellants before this court, the Birla Company being appellants in First Appeals I1, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 23 and 24 and the company being the appellants in First Appeals 15, 16, 19, 20, 21 and 22. All the above 185 land acquisition cases were tried analogously, the awardees having adduced common evidence, both oral and documentary. With the consent of the counsel for the parties and for the sake of convenience and brevity all these appeals have also been heard together and are being disposed of by this judgement.

2. 177.91 acres of land, undisputedly, agricultural lands producing crops, exc