JUDGMENT :

T.S. SIVAGNANAM, J.

(Common Prayer: Appeals filed under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent against the order passed by this Court in W.P.(MD)Nos.7134, 7006, 6988, 6993, 7005, 7004, 6971 and of 2014, dated 19.03.2020.)

1. The appellants being aggrieved by the order, dismissing their Writ Petitions, filed for issuance of a Writ of Declaration, declaring the acquisition proceedings initiated by the second respondent, in respect of the lands in question, to be deemed to have been lapsed as per Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (the 2013 Act for brevity) are before us by way of these appeals.

2. Though the Writ Petitions were dismissed by separate orders dated 19.03.2020, since the grounds raised before us by the appellants/writ petitioners are identical, the appeals are heard together and are disposed of by this common judgment.

3. Writ Appeal No.776 of 2021 is taken up as the lead case and the fact therein are noted as hereunder:-

The appellant claims to be the owner of the land comprised in S.No. 54/17, Thoppur Village, Madurai South Taluk, Madurai District, measuring an extent of 0.12.5 H