Birendra Pd.Verma, J.

1. This batch of three writ petitions, at the instance of one and common writ petitioner, is the second round of litigation before this Court with respect to three pre-emption proceedings under Section 16(3) of the Bihar Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling Area and Acquisition of Surplus Land) Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as the Land Ceiling Act). The petitioner herein is aggrieved by the order dated 31.8.1999, (Annexure-7) passed by the learned Additional Member, Board of Revenue, Bihar, Patna analogously in Revision Case Nos. 174, 175 and 176 of 1996, whereby the claim of pre-emption made by the writ petitioner with respect to the lands in dispute has been dismissed and the impugned appellate orders dated 16.4.1996 (Annexure-4) passed in preemption Appeals No. 8/1995, 9/1995 and 10/1995 by the respondent Additional Collector, Rohtas at Sasaram, have been affirmed.

2. We shall take the facts from the pleadings of the parties in C.W.J.C. No. 10339 of 1999, unless otherwise specifically referred to in relation to other two connected writ petitions.

3. The facts relevant for determination of the issues involved in the present litigation are portraye