JUDGMENT

R.C. Lahoti, J.-M/s Anil Kumar Sunil Kumar & Party, the respondent No. 1 in these appeals had filed a writ petition before the High Court of Rajasthan impleading the State of Rajasthan, the Excise Commissioner and the other officers of the Excise Department as respondent Nos. 1 to 4, also M/s Ganganagar Sugar Mills Ltd. as respondent No. 5. For the sake of convenience the parties shall be referred to as they were arrayed in the writ petition before the High Court.

2. The Excise Commissioner, Rajasthan, Udaipur vide tender notice dated 6.2.1991 invited tenders for grant of exclusive privilege licences (E.P.L.) under Rules 67(I) and 67(K) of the Rajasthan Excise Rules, 1956 read with Rule 3 of the Rajasthan Foreign Liquor (Grant of Wholesale Trade and Retail Licence) Rules, 1982 for sale of country liquor for the whole of Rajasthan (excluding tribal area), retail sale of beer, retail and wholesale sale of Indian-Made Foreign Liquor for shops and group of shops/sub-shops for financial years 1991-92 and 1992-93. One of the group of shops forming subject matter of the tender notice was designated as Sirohi group of shops falling in excise district of Jalore for the sale of coun