Judgment

M. Jagannadha Rao, J. - Leave granted.

2. These two appeals have been filed by the Punjab Communications Ltd. (hereinafter called the ‘PCL’), a public-sector undertaking of the State of Punjab against the judgment dated 27.2.1998 of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in CWP No. 124 of 1998 and against the order in the review application dated 19.3.1998 in RA 138 of 1998. The Transfer Petition (C) No. 680 of 1998 is filed by Sri D.P. Srivastava for transfer of public interest writ petition No. 4112 M/B of 1997 from the Allahabad High Court to this Court as some points are common to the appeals and the writ petition.

3. Though the main judgment in the writ petition has been rendered by the High Court on 27.2.1998, the events which have taken place during the pendency of these appeals have changed the complexion of the case and, according to the respondent-Union of India, the writ petition has practically become infructuous and no relief can be granted. We shall narrate the facts which have given rise to the writ petition and shall also refer to the subsequent events.

4. In September 1993, the Asian Development Bank (hereinafter called the “ADB”) agreed to grant a soft loan of