VIJAY BISHNOI,J. - (1.) The following identical issue is involved in these writ petitions: Whether the land for which mining lease was granted in favour of the petitioner-firm is a forest land or not? Therefore, all these writ petitions have been heard together and are being decided by this common order.
(2.) The relevant facts, in a nutshell, are that a lease-deed dated 04.04.1978 was executed between the Mining Engineer, Bikaner and one Poora Ram resident of Napasar, Tehsil Sujangarh, District Churu, by which Poora Ram was authorised to mine stone ballast from Randhisar Hill of Tehsil Sujangarh, District Churu for an area of 3052 square meters for a period of ten years. Poora Ram transferred his lease hold rights in favour of the petitioner-firm with the permission of Mining Department and pursuant to that a deed between Hon'ble the then Governor and the petitioner-firm was executed on 01.01.1982.
(3.) Since, the lease-deed was to expire in the year 1988, the petitioner-firm applied for renewal of the said lease-deed on 31.10.1987, however, the same was renewed and the petitioner-firm filed S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 5771/1992 before this Court, which was decided on 16.09.1996, whereby a direction was issued to the State Government to decide the application of the petitioner-firm for renewal of lease-deed.;