By the Court.—These four writ petitions raise a challenge to the levy of license fee by the Zila Panchayat, Aligarh in terms of bye-laws framed by it under the provisions of the U.P. Kshetra Panchayat and Zila Panchayat Adhiniyam, 1961 (Adhiniyam). While the petitioners in the leading writ petition are engaged in the manufacture of iron rods, the petitioner in Writ Petition No. 8360 of 2013 runs a roller flour mill, while the petitioner in Writ Petition Nos. 36694 of 2013 and 36695 of 2013 are engaged in the manufacture of iron rods and iron sheets. Except for the petitioner in Writ Petition No. 8360 of 2013, all the other writ petitioners admittedly held licenses for carrying on their industry in trade granted by the Zila Panchayat, Aligarh. The cause for the institution of the present writ petitions appears to be the promulgation of the amended bye-laws on 29 March 2012 and in terms of which the license fee was increased by the Zila Panchayat concerned. As a consequence of the increase in license fee, the petitioners who were engaged in the manufacture of iron rods