( 1 ) THE doctrire of, what has now come to be known as, Promissory Estopel, is invoked, by the appellants in these appeals prefored against a common judgment of our learned brother Kuppuswamy J. dated October 10, 1972 by which a batch of Writ Petitions, including the Writ Petitions nos. 5342 of 1971 and 1595 of 1972, tired by them was dismissed the appellant are mershans deling in verius condition is in diog chemicle fortilisers. Thev undertook to purchase chemical fertilisers from the Agricaltural Department of Andhra Pradesh Govrnmentnt and distribute them to the ryot s, is per the terms of the licence granted to them under Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1957 read with the provisions contained in the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and in accordance with the terms and conditions that nay be laid down by the Government from time to time. The Government of Andhra Pradesh, as per their GO Ms. No. 1896 dated September, 10, 1970, directed that the revised procedure embodied therein be adopted for the distribution of pool nitrogen as fertilizers in the state with effect from October 10, 1970. That was followed by a Circular dated November 17, 1970 from the Office of the Dir