( 1 ) THIS is an application under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India for the issue of a command to the State Government, the Collector of Surguja, the divisional Forest Officer, Sur-guja, and South Eastern Railway Administration and its Engineer-in-chief at Manindragarh to secure and preserve the rights of the petitioners granted to them under a mining lease by the State of Madbya Pradesh and to ensure the continued enjoyment of those rights by the petitioners and their quiet possession. The petitioners also pray for the issue of a prohibitory direction restraining the respondents from interfering in any way with the petitioners' rights under the lease.

( 2 ) THE material facts of the case are very simple. By an indenture of lease concluded between the first petitioner, the United Collieries Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Company), and the State Government on 9th April 1962 the company was granted for a period of thirty years, commencing from 3rd January 1946, a coal mining lease in respect of lands described in Part I of the Schedule to the indenture, known, as the North Chirimiri Colliery in the district of Surguja, "together with liberties, pow