PART-I

INTRODUCTION:

This common Judgment shall dispose of these petitions involving common questions for consideration. There are mainly three categories of petitioners. First category of petitioners (W.P.Nos.9458, 10491, 1 0304 and 10773 of 2005) are the wholesale merchants of Vijayawada, who are also members of a society called Vijayawada Wholesale Commercial Complex Members Welfare Society (Merchants Association, for brevity). The petitioners in this sub-group are also members of their respective trade associations. Second category of cases is filed by the wholesale merchants, who are allegedly not members of the Merchants Association, but they are members of their respective trade associations. Vijayawada Daily Parcel Lorry Office Owners Welfare Association and other Lorry transporters filed third category of cases. The alleged restraint imposed on the right to carry on business by seizing their respective business places/shops brought them together for redressal. This was allegedly done by the authorities of the respondents, namely, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC); Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali and Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (hereafter called, the Urban Au