( 1 ) THESE Writ Appeals are preferred against a common judgment of a learned single Judge, G. Radha-krishna Rao, J. , partly allowing a batch of writ petitions filed by a number of industries. The writ petitioners are consumers of electricity. They fall in the category of High Tension (Industrial) Consumers. They challenged the revision of tariffs in B. P. Ms. No. 671, dated 10-6-1987 (with effect from 15-7-1987), as well as the further revision of tariffs in B. P. Ms. No. 353, dated 15-4-1989 (given effect from 1-6-1989 ). Both the respondent-Electricity Board and the writ-petitioners have filed appeals against the judgment of the learned single Judge.

( 2 ) THE A. P. State Electricity Board is constituted under Section 5 of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act" ). Section 49 empowers the Board to classify/categorize the consumers having regard to the several factors mentioned in sub-section (2) thereof, and to fix different tariffs for them. From the very beginning the Board has been categorizing the consumers into more than one category and has been charging them at different rates. For purposes of these appeals it is sufficient if we commence

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