Judgement

MATHEW, J.:- These writ petitions and civil appeals raise common questions and they are, therefore, disposed of by a common judgment. The Civil Appeals arise out of the decision of High Court of Delhi dismissing the writ petition filed by the appellants challenging the validity of the proceedings for acquisition of the land in question for "planned development of Delhi". In the writ petitions, the validity of the same proceedings is being challenged on certain additional grounds also.

2. A notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act (hereinafter referred to as the Act ) was issued on November 13, 1959, stating that an area of 34,070 acres of land was needed for a public purpose, viz., the planned development of Delhi, Between 1959 and 1961, about six thousand objections were filed under Section 5A of the Act. The objections were overruled. On March 18, 1966, the declaration under S.6 of the Act was published in respect of a portion of the area. Thereafter, in 1970, notices were issued under S.9(1) of the Act requiring the appellants to state their objctions, if any, to the assessment of compensation. The appellants thereupon challenged the validity of proceedi