JUDGMENT

1. This matter has been taken up for hearing online because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

2. Heard Mr. Shivendra Kishore, learned Senior Counsel with Mr. Jai Krishna Poddar and Mr. Suraj Kumar for the petitioners and Mrs. Archana Meenakshee, learned G.P.- 6 for the State of Bihar.

3. There are 45 petitioners in the present application. Petitioners No. 18, 22 and 33 died during the pendency of this application and have been substituted by their legal representatives for pursing this matter.

4. The facts of the case are not at all in dispute. The Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar, had acquired huge chunk of land from several persons in and around 1979 for Durgawati Dam Project, situate in the district of Kaimur, Bihar. Consequent upon acquisition of land, many persons had become landless or lost substantial area of their land, rendering them jobless. It appears from an order of this Court dated 15.04.2005 passed by a coordinate Bench in C.W.J.C. No. 1760 of 2000 (Basant Singh and Others vs. The State of Bihar and Others), filed by these petitioners that the State Government of Bihar had passed a resolution containing policy relating to appointment of persons g