LALIT MOHAN SHARMA, J.

1. In all these four writ applications, the petitioners have challenged the order as contained in letter No. B/C5-206/76 E-1981 dated 1-4-1977 reducing the price of country spirit to be supplied by the petitioners to Government Warehouses during the period 1-4-1977 to 31-3-1980. The letter has been annexed to the writ application in C. W. J. C. 892/77 as Annexure 4, in C. W. J. C. 698/77 as Annexure 2, in C. W. J. C. 909/77 as Annexure 3 and in C. W. J. C. 945/77 as Annexure 2. As suggested by the parties, all the four applications have been heard together and are being disposed of by this common judgment. The parties have addressed arguments with reference to C W. J. C. 892/77 and, accordingly, in this judgment reference will be made to the records of that case.

2. By Sec. 22 of the Bihar and Orissa Excise Act, 1915 (hereinafter referred to as the Act), the State Government has been given the power to grant to any person the exclusive privilege of supplying wholesale country liquor within the specified areas on such conditions and for such period as it may think fit. Section 7 (1) (e) of the Act permits the State Government to delegate to the Board o