SIVASUBRAMANIAM

These writ petitions and the Letters Patent Appeals are coming before us on a reference made by one of us, namely, Venkataswami, J., in the batch of writ petitions Nos. 9138 of 1986 etc. filed by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd., as the learned Judge felt that the judgment rendered by a Bench of this Court consisting of S. Natarajan, J., as he then was and Singaravelu, J., in Indian Rare Earths Limited v. Special Collector, Land Acquisition Officer, Padmanabhapuram Thukkalai, Kanyakumari District reported in 1986 WritLR 146 requires reconsideration in view of the later decision of the Supreme Court in Santosh Kumar v. Central Warehousing Corporation reported in 1986 AIR(SC) 1164, 1986 CrLR(SC) 220, 1986 (1) CCC 990, 1986 (1) Scale 1265, 1986 (2) SCC 343, 1986 (1) SCR 603, 1986 (2) UJ 56, 1986 CRLR 220 . As the same point is involved in the other writ petitions and Letters Patent Appeals, they have also been heard along with the said writ petitions.

2. In the affidavit filed in W. P. No.9138 of 1986 batch on behalf of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd., the following contentions have been raised. The Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd., which shall herei