Bal Raj Tuli, J.

1. This petition came up for hearing before P.C. Jain, J. and was referred to a large Bench by order dated March 6, 1973, in view of the importance of the point of law involved.

2. The facts giving rise to this petition are that the petitioners are owners of a plot of land measuring 132 kanals 9 marlas situate on Lawrence Road, Amritsar, out of which an area measuring 81 kanals 10 marlas is entered in the jamabandi of village Tungwala. The Amritsar Municipal Committee, by its letter dated August 27, 1956, intimated to the petitioners that it had prepared a town planning scheme under section 192 of the Punjab Municipal Act (hereinafter referred to as the Municipal Act), and a meeting was fixed for September 5, 1956, for the petitioners to express their points of view on the subject. It was stated that the proposed scheme would go a long way to meet the legitimate demands of the public. Ultimately, the Municipal Committee, Amritsar, sanctioned the town planning scheme which was approved by the State Government on November 15, 1962. Before the sanction of the scheme by the State Government, the Amritsar Improvement Trust, by its resolution No. 990 dated May 30