1. Facts leading to the filing of these writ petitions are intertwined. Therefore, both the writ petitions are disposed of by this common order.

W.P. No. 41444 of 2002

2.1. The deponent of the affidavit is the Managing Director of the petitioner Company and he would state among other things that the petitioner Company is a Public Limited Company incorporated under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956, with the main object of manufacture and marketing of Salt. The second respondent, namely the Tuticorin Port Trust is the owner of vast extent of land situated in Tuticorin and could not put the lands into beneficial use and the lands did not yield any return and hence, in the year 1943, it took a decision to lease out 300 acres of land in favour of the petitioner for manufacture of salt and it was a minor port at the relevant point of time. The second respondent, for that purpose, decided to lease out the said lands initially for a period of 20 years and accordingly, leased out the lands to an extent of 262.80 acres during the year 1943 in favour of one Shri Mannar