Yatindra Singh, J.

INTRODUCTION

Is a Cooperative Society a State within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution of India? Does it perform public functions? is a writ petition maintainable against it for violation of non-statutory provision? What is meaning of the phrase, whose area of operation extends to more than one district occurring in the notification dated 4th March. 1972 (the 1972 Notification) u/s 122 of the U.P. Co-operative Societies Act. 1965 (the Co-operative Societies Act)? These are the questions involved in these writ petitions. But before adverting to the facts of the cases, I would tike to explain meaning of few words as used by me in this judgment and details of the Appendix appended to this Judgment.

WORDS AND DETAILS OF THE APPENDICES

2. In this Judgment, following words have meaning assigned to them below :

(i) The Co-operative Societies Act means the U.P. Co-operative Societies Act. 1965.

(ii) The Banking Regulation Act means the Banking Regulation Act. 1949.

(iii) The rules means the U.P. Cooperative Societies Rules, 1968 framed under the Co-ope