Devinder Gupta, J.—The preliminary objection raised in these seven writ petitions arising for determination is as to whether the three Societies registered or deemed to have been registered under the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Co-operative Societies Act, 1968 (H. P. Act No. 3/69) (hereinafter referred to as the Act) are amenable to the writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India with respect to the matters pertaining to the service of their employees.

2. The three Co-operative Societies are the Himachal Pradesh State Co-operative Bank Ltd., The Mall, Shimla (hereinafter called the M. P. Co-op. Bank) ; the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank Ltd., Dharamshala (hereinafter referred to as the Kangra Bank) and the Himachal Pradesh State Co operative Marketing and Development Federation Ltd,, Shimla (hereinafter referred to as HIMFED).

3. It is not in dispute that the Societies are Co-operative Societies duly registered under the Act and are governed by the provisions of the Act. They have their own bye-laws and set of service rules governing the terms of employment of the employees. Before proceeding to deal with the case with respect to each Co-operative