( 1 ) THESE Petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution of India are directed against an order passed by the Financial Commissioner under section 42 of the East Punjab Holdings (Consolidation Prevention and fragmentation) Act, 1948, as applicable in Delhi (hereafter called "the Act" ). By that order, the Financial Commissioner set aside that extension of date for consolidation of scheme (in village Pooth Khurd, Delhi) from 23. 02. 1998 to 31. 08. 1998 as irregular, and remanded the case back to the Consolidation officer, to proceed further on the basis of a resolution dated 23. 02. 1998. This was pursuant to a Revision Petition filed by Angrej Singh and others, challenging the Consolidation Proceedings of Village Pooth Khurd, Delhi; the said revision petitioners are parties to these proceedings, and are referred to as "the contesting respondents".

( 2 ) A notification under section 14 (1) of the Act, for consolidation proceedings was issued on 05. 09. 1988. A Consolidation Officer was appointed on 13. 04. 1989. After considerable time, another Consolidation officer was appointed on 16. 08. 1996. Likewise, the Advisory Committee, which was initially constitu