JUDGMENT :

SHAJI P. CHALY

The captioned writ petitions and intra court appeals are materially connected in regard to the grant of, or application submitted for quarrying lease, by or before the State Government; the stop memos issued thereunder by the revenue authorities; the rejection of applications for quarrying etc., in the lands specially assigned for cultivation, or house sites or beneficial enjoyment of adjoining lands or for other specific and special purposes, under the Kerala Government Land Assignment Act, 1960 (hereinafter referred to, as 'the Act, 1960'), and the rules framed thereunder; such as the Kerala Land Assignment Rules, 1964 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Rules, 1964'), the Special Rules for Assignment of Government Lands for Rubber Cultivation, 1960, and the Arable Forest Land Assignment Rules, 1970.

2. Most of the writ petitions before us, are consequent to the reference orders passed by learned single Judges dated 12.07.2019 & 15.02.2022, the reason for which would be specified later. Some are public interest litigation against the quarrying operations conducted in the assigned lands.

3. In all the cases filed by the quarry operators, they are the purchasers