BALLAPUR INDUSTRIES LIMITED Vs. ANDHRA PRADESH MICRO SMALL ENTERPRISES FACILITATION COUNCIL HYDERABAD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) ALL these four Writ Petitions are being disposed of by this common order in view of the common question of law involved in all the cases.

(2.) HEARD the learned counsel for petitioner and the learned counsel for second respondent. None appeared for the first respondent.

(3.) WHILE so, the second respondent initiated proceedings in Case Nos. 80, 81, 82 and 83 of 2003 on the file of the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Facilitation Council (for short, the Council), the first respondent, claiming that there was a delay in making payments to it by the petitioner company and consequently it is entitled to interest on delayed payments as provided under the Interest on Delayed Payments to Small Scale and Ancillary Industrial Undertakings Act, 1993 (for short, Act of 1993). The petitioner contested the said case by raising various pleas relating to jurisdiction, limitation and full and final settlement of all its claims against the second respondent. When the cases were pending before the Council, the Parliament enacted 'Micro, Small Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006' (for short, MSMED Act) repealing the Act of 1993.