JUDGMENT

S.N. Variava, J.-Leave granted.

2. This Appeal is against a Judgment dated 27th November, 1998.

3. Briefly stated the facts are as follows :

The Appellants are an Association of money lenders and pawn brokers. The Respondent-Corporation had in the year 1972 by a Notification dated 14th/15th April, 1972, notified the business of money tenders and pawn-brokers as one which required a licence Under Section 523 of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act. Having so notified a licence fee of Rs.50/- was charged from all money lenders and pawn brokers. At that time no challenge was made to the Notification. However, by another Notification dated 11th April, 1987, the licence fees was enhanced from RS.50/- to R.S.500/- in case of money lending and pawn broking business and Rs.200/- in case of money exchange operations.

4. The Appellants filed a writ petition in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh challenging the Notification dated 11th April, 1987, inter alia, on the ground that Section 521 did not empower the Commissioner to notify the trades of money lending and pawn broking as being trades for which a licence is necessary. The Writ Petition came to be dismissed by a single Judge