1. Both the writ petitions have raised common questions of law and fact and are being disposed of by this common judgment.

2. In both the writ petitions, the writ petitioners have challenged the orders passed by the Assistant Secretary, Metropolitan Development, Salt Lake Branch, Sech Bhawan, Government of West Bengal (hereinafter referred to as the Assistant Secretary) rejecting the prayers of the writ petitioners for mutation of their names in respect of the plots in question at Bidhan Nagar, Salt Lake City, Calcutta. The prayers for mutation of the names of the writ petitioners, in respect of the plots in question, were rejected by the Assistant Secretary by holding that the transfers of the plots in question, made in favour of the writ petitioners by registered Deeds of Transfer executed by the original lessees, were not valid in view of S. 2 of the Government Grants Act, 1895 (hereinafter referred to as the Act) by which the application of the provisions of Transfer of Property Act, 1882 (hereinafter referred to as the T.P. Act) had been excluded in respect of any transfer of land and interest thereon made by the Government.

3. The grounds on which the applications for mut