( 1 ) A large number of writ petitions have been referred for being decided by this Full Bench as all of them involve some important common questions of law besides some writ petitions having, in addition, certain additional points for decision. We shall, at first, deal with the disputed questions of law and facts which are common to all the petitions and thereafter shall deal with individual cases with regard to their additional points.

( 2 ) THE challenge in all these writ petitions is to the acquisition proceedings pertaining to the land belonging to the petitioners in pursuance to the various notifications issued from time to time tor the common public object of planned development of Delhi. The Master Plan of Delhi, which came into force in 1962, in its Introduction, gives the broad background in which it became necessary to have the growth of the city planned in a more scientific and modem way As indicated in the Master Plan, in order to check the haphazard and unplanned growth of Delhi following the partition of the country and the phenomenal growth of die population with its sprawling residential colonies without proper layouts and without the conveniences of lif