JUDGMENT :

MANISH CHOUDHURY, J.

1. In both the writ petitions - W.P. (C) No. 8195/2017 and W.P. (C) No. 8674/2018 – preferred under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the main subject-matter of challenge is settlement of a fishery named ‘No. 5 Sonai Nadi Part-III Fishery’ located in Morigaon District in favour of the cooperative society, M/s No. 151/152 Karmari Nandini Meen Samabai Samity, impleaded as party-respondent no. 8 in both the writ petitions (hereinafter referred to as ‘the respondent society’ at places, for easy reference).

2. The Settling Authority i.e. the State Government in the Fishery Department had settled the fishery named No. 5 Sonai Nadi Part-III Fishery, a 60% category fishery, (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Fishery’, for short) in favour of the respondent society for a period of 7 (seven) years w.e.f. the date of delivery of possession of the Fishery to the respondent society by an Order of Settlement dated 22.09.2017. Apart from the Order of Settlement dated 22.09.2017, the petitioner society in the writ petition, W.P. (C) No. 8195/2017 has also ass