SARDAR ALI KHAN, J.

( 1 ) THE common prayer in this batch of writ petitions is for the issue of a writ of mandamus declaring that the Advocates are entitled to be classified under "non-OYT Special" Category for allotment of Telephones and consequently to direct the 2nd respondent-General Manager, Telephones, telephone Bhavan, Hyderabad, to register the applications of the petitioners on the respective dates when they were made, under Non-OYT Special category and to grant telephone connections forthwith.

( 2 ) ALL the petitioners in this batch of Writ Petitions are Advocates, who have been practising in various courts from a considerably long time.

( 3 ) THE provision of telephone connections is regulated by the rules and instructions framed by the Department of Telecommunications, government of India, as amended from time to time. Telephone Allotment Rules, 1980 have been framed and several amendments have been effected in the rules by the Department over the period of ten years. It needs to be made clear at the very outset that these Telephone Allotment Rules, 1980 are not statutory in character as they have not been framed in pursuance of the rule making power under Section 7 of

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