(1.) THE petitioners are dealers in tyres and tubes at Bhadrak. Collector of Balasore (opposite party No. 1) issued a circular, anncxure 1, on 27th May, 1971. The main terms of that circular arc extracted hereunder. "to all Motor Tyres and Tubes Dealers of the District. Sub:-- Distribution of motor tyres and tubes: x X X X X according to one of the decisions taken in that meeting, the motor tyres/tubes dealers of this district will send immediate intimation to the civil Supplies Officer, Balasore, whenever they got any supplies of motor tyres and tubes. Secondly the dealers will also furnish lists of their customers for such tyres and tubes to the Civil Supplies Officer. Accordingly, you are requested to please intimate to the Civil Supplies Officer in the pro forma given below the number of motor tyres and tubes held in stock in date, or whenever you receive supplies in future, invariably, in order to arrange for its equitable distribution as decided upon in that meeting. X X X X X in this connection you are also requested to furnish a list of your customers for such tyres and tubes to the undersigned with a copy to the Secretary, Orissa Truck Owners Association, Balasore or Bhadrak as the case may be. The stock of tyres and tubes in hand, or to be received meanwhile, should not be sold to anybody until unless you receive further instructions from this office regarding mode of distribution etc. which please note. Yours faithfully, sd/- Illegible, for Collector, Balasore. The Collector issued another letter, Annexure 2, on 9th July, 1971. So far as is relevant it runs thus:--"to all Motor Tyres and Tubes Dealers of Balasore District. Sub:--Distribution of Truck/bus Tyres/ Tubes. X X X X X
(2.) SINCE these Branch Committees of Balasore and Bhadrak will distribute the tyres received by the dealers in Balasore and bhadrak sub-division respectively, the tubes and tyres dealers of Balasore and Bhadrak will send receipt intimation within 24 hours of the receipt of tyres and tubes consignments by them, to the respective branch Secretaries of Balasore and Bhadrak for the purpose of distribution under intimation to the Civil supplies Officer, Balasore. Until further orders, stocks of tyres and tubes of the sizes 900 x 20 and 1000 x 20 only need be intimated for such distribution. The other tyres and tubes may be sold by dealers themselves to their bona fide customers.
(3.) AS soon as an intimation from a dealer is received the branch Committee will make distribution immediately and inform the dealer within 24 hours with a copy to the Civil supplies Officer, Balasore. X X X X yours faithfully, sd/- Illegible, for Collector, Balasore. " the Tyre Dealers' Association, Bha-drak, addressed a letter, Annexure 3, on 9-7-71 protesting against the control exercised by the Collector in the matter of distribution of tyres and tubes. The Orissa Truck Owners' Association (opposite party No. 3) addressed annexure 4 on 21st July, 1971, to some of the petitioners. The subject of the letter (Annexure 4) was: intimation regarding arrival of tyres, with reference to Collector's letter, Annexure 2, dated 9th July, 1971. Therein, they said as follows: