- (1.) By way of this order, we shall dispose of Civil Writ Petition Nos.8420, 8541, 8542, 8543, 8544, 8545 and 8546 of 2002, as they involve adjudication of similar questions of fact and law. For the convenience, facts are being taken from Civil Writ Petition No.8420 of 2002 and the facts of other writ petitions shall be referred wherever necessary.
(2.) The petitioners pray that orders dated 11.02.1999 (Annexure P-1) and 29.01.2002 (Annexure P-3), passed by the District Collector (Deputy Commissioner), Ferozepur and the Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Punjab, respectively, may be quashed.
(3.) The Gram Panchayat, filed an application under Sections 7 and 11 of the East Punjab Utilisation of Lands Act, 1949 (hereinafter referred to as 'the 1949 Act') for eviction of the petitioners by claiming that the land in dispute belongs to the Gram Panchayat but as it was not being cultivated, the Collector took possession, in 1963, and allotted it to the petitioners, for 20 years, under the 1949 Act. Upon expiry of 20 years, the petitioners did not vacate the land. The petitioners contested the application by averring that the land does not belong to the Gram Panchayat, as it is the share of muslim proprietors in "Shamilat", who migrated to Pakistan, and, therefore, vests in the Rehabilitation Department .;