BAL RAJ TULI, J.

1. This judgment will dispose of 211 civil writ petitions ( Nos. 2583, 3268, 3270 to 3274, 3712 to 3720, 3722 to 3729, 3753 to 3757, 3768, 3790, 3913 to 3954, 4205, 4206, 4291 to 4293, 4323, 4323, 4366, 4373 to 4376, 4381, 4385 to 4387, 4395, 4396, 4402, 4403, 4405, 4409 to 4412, 4428, 4436, 4438, 4440, 4441, 4467, 4468, 4489, 4544, 4548, 4549, 4570, 4572, 4580, 4584, 4607, 4610, 4617, 4625, 4688, 4692, 4699, 4709, 4717 to 4727, 4730, 4741, 4743, 4775, 4780 to 4782, 4792, 4800, 4818, 4844, 4865, 4866, 4869, 4870, 4874 to 4885, 4892 to 4906, 4910, 4911, 4919, 4923, 4924, 4935, 4947, 4962 to 4964, 4967 to 4972, 4985, 4990, 5002 to 5004, 5007, 5008, 5028, 5029, 5035, 5052, 5053, 5059, 5081, 5084 5100, 5105, 5109, 5113, 5117 and 5122 of 1974) as common questions of law are involved, 127 writ petitions relate to the market committees in the to State of Haryana and 84 to the market committees in the State of Punjab.

2. The Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act (Punjab Act 23 of 1961) (hereinafter referred to as the Act), received the assent of the President of India on May 18, 1961, and was published in the Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), Legislative