Sanjib Banerjee, J.

The common strand running through these 61 petitions is that the allotment of plots made in favour of the petitioners in New Town, Rajarhat have been, or are threatened to be, cancelled. The petitioners maintain that the actual or threatened cancellation of the allotments is arbitrary, illegal and vindictive. They complain of hostile discrimination against them while several others similarly placed as many of the petitioners have not only been allowed to retain their allotments, but possession of the parcels of land was expeditiously made over to such favoured persons.

2. They are two broad groups of petitioners: the allottees of residential plots of land and the allottees of land for commercial use. Some of the petitioners seek to make a distinction on the basis of whether they were the beneficiaries of the discretionary quota reserved unto the erstwhile chairperson of the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited; or, whether they were beneficiaries of allotments made directly by the board of directors of WBHIDCO.

3. The S