Judgment

BHAGWATI, J. - This is a group of applications made by the petitioners in various writ petitions for directions regarding discharge of bank guarantees given by them pursuant to interim orders made by this Court in the writ petitions. The writ petitions were filed by the petitioners in this Court challenging the validity of the Levy Sugar Supply Control Order, 1972 made under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 fixing the price of levy sugar in different zones in the country, on the principal ground that the price so fixed was not in accordance with the principles laid down in Sec. 3, sub-section (3C) of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. When the writ petitions were admitted an application was made by the petitioners in each writ petition for stay of the operation of the Levy Sugar Supply Control Order 1972 and this Court made an interim order on each of the applications staying the operation of the Levy Sugar Supply Control Order, 1972 on the petitioners in the respective writ petitions "furnishing a bank guarantee in respect of the difference between the price of sugar fixed by the Government and the price at which the sugar is actually sold" and it was pro