NARASIMHSM, J.

( 1 ) THESE two appeals are by the defts. against tbe judgment of the Subordinate judge of Sambalpur reversing the judgment of the Munsif of Bargarh and decreeing the pltf's. suit for a declaration that they have the sole and exclusive right to appoint and dismiss a Nariha who id a village servant and that the revenue authorities have no right to interfere in any way with the exercise of that right by the pltfs.

( 2 ) PLTF. 1 is the Lambardar Gaontia of Mouza Guclesira which is a Gaontiahi village in Sambalpur district. Pltfs. 2 to 5 are the Punches of the said village who are elected by the raiyats for the purpose of assisting the Lambardar in the management of the village. In the last settlement deft, l was recorded as a nariha in respect of 9'42 acres of land which were held by him rent, free (Ex. 2 a ). In the wazib-ul-arz of the village (ex 2) it is recorded that the Nariha may be dismissed and deprived of his service lands by the Lambardar and the Punches for failure to render due service. The duties of a Nariha have not been dearly described in the wazib-ul-arz; but from the Settlement Reports of Dewar (l906) and Hamid (1926) it appears that a Naiiha is a vi