JUDGMENT

BHAGWATI, J.:— This writ petition has been filed on the basis of a letter addressed by one Ram Kumar Misra, President of Free Legal Aid Committee, Bhagalpur. This letter complained that the workmen employed in two ferries one at Bhugalpur and the other at Sultanganj -- which were being operated by respondent No. 5 were not being paid minimum wages as prescribed by the relevant notification issued under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, The wages of the workmen employed in these two ferries were given in the annexure to the letter and the amount of the difference between what the petitioner claimed to be the minimum wage payable to the workmen and the actual wage paid to them, was set out in the annexure, The letter was treated as a writ petition and by an order dated 25th January, 1983, this Court issued notice on the writ petitioner and on Mr. Goburdhan learned Advocate, for the State of Bihar, waiving service of the notice, the District Magistrate, Bhagalpur and Ram Kumar Misra, the petitioner, were directed to jointly carry out an inquiry into the various averments made in the writ petition and submit a report within two weeks from the date of the order. The direction for ho