Land Acquisition - State property - Coal bearing areas - Acquisition by Union of India - Parliament, power to enact law - Indian Constitution if not federal - sovereignty, if lies in States also - Fundamental rights, whether can be claimed by States - "Person" and "Property", Connotation of -Coal Bearing Areas ( Acquisition and Development) Act, 1957 (XX of 1957) - Constitution of India, Arts. 13, 31, 73, 162, 245, 246, 248, 249, 254, 294, 298, Seventh Schedule, List I Entries 52, 54, 97, List II Entries 23, 24, List III Entry 42.

Under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) A~t, 1957, enacted by Parliament, the Union of India proposed to acquire certain coal bearing areas in the State of West Bengal. The State filed a suit contending that the Act -did not apply to lands vested in or owned by the State and that if it applied to such lands the Act was beyond the legislative competence of Parliament.