By the Court.—This petition has been filed in the public interest for quashing the orders granting/renewing the mining leases in favour of private respondent Nos. 4 to 22 and the consequential execution of deeds in their favour.

2. The petitioner asserts that he is a resident of district Banda and has agricultural land holdings situated on the banks of river Ken in district Hamirpur. According to the petitioner, on one side of river Ken is district Hamirpur and on the other side of the river is district Banda. The petitioner claims to be espousing the cause of the general public residing near the banks of the river for bringing to an end the illegal mining that is being carried out by grant/renewal of mining leases in contravention of the statutory provisions. The petitioner has also stated that he has no personal or private interest in the issues that have been raised in this petition and that the result of the litigation will not lead to any undue gain to the petitioner or to anyone associated with him nor would it cause any undue loss to any person, body or persons o