W.P. (C) Nos. 11011 and 11013/2015 were filed by two companies respectively seeking renewal of D&O licence by the respondent Grama Panchayat to enable the said companies to carry on with their quarry operations. The same companies have also filed W.P. (C) Nos.11012 & 11014/2015 respectively seeking the self same relief concerning their crusher units. Since identical issues have been raised, involving the same set of respondents, this Court proposes to dispose of all the four writ petitions through a common judgment.

2. To begin with, there is not much factual controversy in the writ petitions. The petitioners have their respective units - mining and crusher units - functioning for the past couple of years. Since the D&O licence was to come to an end by 31.03.2015, which period has been disputed by the learned counsel for the petitioners saying that in some cases it is up to 30.04.2015, the petitioners are said to have submitted applications for renewal of the licences. Questioning the inaction on the part of the respondent Grama Panchayat in considering those applications, the petitioners have filed the present writ petitions.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioners has