ORDER :- In these batch of 21 writ petitions, the validity of the notifications issued by the State Government fixing minimum rates of wages for the industries in question under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 as amended by subsequent enactments, is challenged. There are also certain minor contentions raised in some of the writ petitions, which will be considered at the appropriate stage.

2. The two main contentions that have been urged and which are common to all the writ petitions are :

(a) in fixing the minimum wages in the industries in question, the capacity of the employers to bear the burden proposed to be imposed has not been considered; and

(b) the minimum rates of wages has not been fixed by the appropriate Government in these cases within one year of the date of the Notification issued by the State Government, adding the particular employment in Part I of the Schedule to the Act.

3. The above writ petition can be broadly divided into four groups, namely, (1) Plywood Industry; (2) Saw Mills; (3) Film Industry; and (4) Hotels and Restaurants.

4. O. P. 1182/59, in which the petitioner is a Plywood Factory, falls under the first group. This petitioner is represented

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