CAV JUDGMENT

P. R. Ramachandra Menon, Chief Justice

1. The Petitioners, who are the elected office bearers of different Primary Agricultural Credit Co-operative Societies in the different districts of the State of Chhattisgarh are before this Court seeking to declare Clause-8 of the Reorganization Scheme, 2019 (Annexure P/1) as unconstitutional, invalid, arbitrary, beyond jurisdiction and to have it struck down accordingly.

2. Shri Prafull N. Bharat, learned counsel led the arguments on behalf of the Petitioners and we heard Shri Amrito Das, learned Additional Advocate General appearing for the State/Department.

3. The sum and substance of the contentions/submissions raised/made from the part of the Petitioners is that the Respondents have virtually decided to take over the management and administration of all the Primary Agricultural Credit Co-operative Societies in the State without any regard to the tenure of the elected bodies who came to power in a democratic exercise, that too; based on executive instructions, with reference to the Scheme as aforesaid.

4. It is stated that as many as 1333 Primary Agricultural Credit Co-operative Societies are there in the State. Even though, the r