JUDGMENT

VENKATACHALA, J.—Leave granted.

2. During the year 1971-72 when acute scarcity conditions prevailed in nearly 23,000 villages of the State of Maharashtra, large scale scarcity relief works had to be undertaken by the State Government to provide employment to small agriculturists their agricultural labour of those villages for earning their livelihood. Such relief works included 38,000 Km. of road works. As the State Government was not in a position to divert relief funds at its disposal for payment of compensation for lands to be utilised in road works, Collectors, put in-charge of such works, were instructed not to accord sanction to them without ensuring that they did not involve any payment of compensation by the Government. Collectors, were, indeed specially instructed to impress upon the non-official and other social workers to use their good offices in ensuring that the land required for such scarcity relief works were donated to the Government without any claim for compensation.

2A. In the year 1991, respondent, an agriculturist of Vepani village in District Nanded of Maharashtra, filed a writ petition, W.P. No. 3124/91 under Article 226 of the Constitution of India i