( 1 ) IN these petitions under Art. 226 of the Constitution, the common question of law that arises for determination, is whether a person who had been running a saw-mill before the Mysore Forest Rules, 1969 (hereinafter referred to as the Rules), came into force, should take a licence under the Rules in order to continue to run such saw mill.

( 2 ) IN WPs. Nos. 6061 to 6066 of 1969; 859; 872 to 882; 1316 to 1318; 1346 to 1376; 2523 to 2527; and 4998 o 1970, the petitioners have prayed for quashing the notices issued to them by the Forest Authorities requiring them to obtain such licences. Those petitioners have also prayed for a mandamus directing the Forest Authorities not to compel them (the petitioners) to obtain such licences. In WPs. Nos. 1149 and 1241 of 1970, in addition to similar prayers, the petitioners have prayed for striking down Rules 163 and 164 of the Rules as being uttra vires of S. 50 of the Mysore Forest act, 1963 (hereinafter referred to as the Act), and as being violative of clauses (g) and (f) of Art. 19 (1) of the Constitution, while in WPs. Nos. 1112 to 1126 and 1128 to 1130 of 1971 the petitioners have prayed for quashing Rule 163 as inv