CHANDRASHEKHAR, J. - (1.)In these petitions under Art. 226 of the Constitution, the constitutionality of the provisions of the Mysore Land Reforms (Amendment) Act, 1965, (Mysore Act 14 of 1965) (hereinafter referred to as the First Amendment Act) and of the Mysore Land Reforms (Second Amendment) Act, 1967, (Mysore Act 11 of 1968) (hereinafter referred to as the Second Amendment Act), has been challenged.
(2.)The petitioners are landlords in the Bombay Area of the new State of Mysore. They had filed statements under Sec. 14 of the Mysore Land Reforms Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as the Act) indicating the extents of lands which they intended to resume for cultivating personally. In W.Ps. Nos. 699, 703, 706 and 1049 of 1969, the appeals from the decisions of the Land Tribunals are pending before the Appellate Authorities. In WPs. Nos. 762, 777, 866, 922 and 1159 of 1969 the Appellate Authority has cancelled certificates issued by the Land Tribunals under Sec. 14 of the Act in favour of the landlords, and has remanded the cases to the respective Land Tribunals for fresh disposal according to law. In rest of the petitions, the claims of the landlords for resumption of lands from their tenants, are pending before the Land Tribunals.
(3.)In all these petitions we have been asked to declare as void the Second Amendment Act while in most of these petitions we have been asked to declare as void the First Amendment Act also. In W.Ps. Nos. 762, 777 866, 922 and 1159 of 1969 the petitioners have, in addition, prayed for quashing the orders of the Appellate Authority and to restore the orders of the Land Tribunals. In the rest of the petitions the petitioners have, in addition, asked us to direct the Land Tribunals or the Appellate Authorities, as the case may be, not to apply the provisions of sub-sec. (10-B) of Sec. 16 of the Act in determining the extents of lands the petitioners are permitted to resume.
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