1. The petitioners in both these writ petitions have taken on licence, the shops put up by the Palladam Municipality in the building owned by the Municipality. The license was originally granted for a period of three years and it is being renewed from time to time.

2. It appears that the term of the present licenses expired on 31.3.2014 and the respondent-Municipality issued a notice to the licensees on 10.02.2014 calling upon them to express willingness for renewal of license on or before 28.02.2014. The applicants claim to have expressed willingness.

3. However, no order either renewing the licenses or rejecting the request for renewal was passed. But, the respondent-Municipality stopped receiving the rent from 1st July 2014. Therefore, apprehending that they may be evicted, the licensees joined together and filed a writ petition in W.P.No.19035 of 2014 seeking the issue of a writ of Mandamus to forbear the respondent-Municipality from putting into public auction shop Nos.1 to 40 in the Commercial Complex built by the respondent-Municipality and for a consequential direction to the respondent-Municipality to renew their licences for a further period up to 31.3.2017 as