THE HONOURABLE CHIEF JUSTICE:

This batch consisting of thousands of cases (some writ appeals but mostly writ petitions) raise an important point of regularisation of illegal employment in several cooperative societies across the State of Tamil Nadu.

2. Hitherto, the cooperative societies and land development banks were being governed by the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act, 1961, and the Tamil Nadu Land Development Banks Act, 1934, respectively. Repealing the above two, was enacted the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act, 1983. It received the assent of the President on 15.7.1983 but was brought into force only on framing the Rules titled, ‘The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Rules, 1988’ with effect from 13.4.1988. The above Act and the Rules are hereinafter referred to as the ‘Act’ and the ‘Rules” respectively. It is needless to mention that the societies and the land development banks, hitherto registered under the repealed Acts of 1961 and 1934, are deemed to be the cooperative societies under the new Act of 1983. In addition, several other cooperative societies have been registered under the Act of 1983. Rules have been framed to give effect to the Act and for