D K MARU Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is a public interest litigation filed by a Co-operative Society of agriculturists, belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes of Gujarat and registered under the Gujarat Co-operative Societies Act, whereby the decision taken by the Gujarat Government, contained in the impugned Circular dated 7-8-1986, sent to the Collectors of Various Districts of Gujarat to reserve all surplus lands vesting in the Government under the Gujarat Agricultural Lands Ceiling Act, 1960 for distribution to land-oustees of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra as a result of submergence of their lands under Narmada Water Reservoir Project, has been challenged.

(2.) To appreciate the nature of challenge made by the petitioner-Co-operative Society of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, it is necessary to reproduce the contents of the impugned Circular, which, upon its translation into English, reads as under :

(3.) This petition was filed in the year 1986 when the above impugned Circular came to be issued.