1. The competence of the State Government and the Registrar of Dairy Co-operatives to interfere with the decision taken by the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited, to increase the selling price of milk by `5/- per litre, with effect from 11.5.2011, is the issue raised in these Writ Petitions. They were therefore heard together and are being disposed of by this common judgment. W.P.(C) No.13648 of 2011 is treated as the main case and unless otherwise mentioned, the documents referred to are those produced therein.

2. The “Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited”, otherwise known as “Milma”, is the petitioner in W.P.(C) No.13468 of 2011. It was registered as a Cooperative Society under the Kerala Co-operative Societies Act, 1969 (hereinafter referred to as the Act for short) on 21.02.1980. It is the apex society of the three Regional Co-operative Milk Producers’ Unions in the State of Kerala, which in turn have as their members, Primary Dairy Co-operative Societies. The three Regional Co-operative Milk Produces’ Unions in the State of Kerala are (1) The Thiruvananthapuram Regional Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd., (2) The Ernakulam Regio