JUDGMENT :

1. Heard Sri Bhagwati Prasad Singh learned Senior Advocate assisted by Sri Vivek Kumar Singh learned counsel for the petitioners and learned Standing Counsel for the State-respondents.

2. The petitioners herein are challenging the orders dated 6.7.2021 passed by the respondent No. 2 namely the Secretary, U.P. State Biodiversity Board and the consequential order dated 20.7.2021 passed by the respondent No. 3 namely the Divisional Director, Social Forestry, Forest Division, Prayagraj asking the petitioners to comply with the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as ''the Act, 2002''), by depositing the Access and benefit sharing amount in Form 1' of the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004 (hereinafter referred to as ''the Rules, 2004'') and Form 'Ka' of the Regulations, 2014 framed under the Act, 2002.

3. The petitioners herein are manufacturers of bidi and are registered partnership firms and company under the relevant Acts. For the purposes of their business, they are registered under the G.S.T. Act with the competent authority as well a