Vineet Saran, J. - (1.) This is a bunch of writ petitions involving common questions of fact and law and hence they are being decided by a common judgment. In most of the writ petitions, counter and rejoinder-affidavits have been exchanged. The Writ Petition No, 18926 of 1998, Harihar Man Singh v. Chairman, U. P. S. E. B and Anr., is being taken up as the leading petition.
(2.) We have heard learned counsel for the petitioners as well as Sri Sudhir Agarwal for the respondent U. P. State Electricity Board (U.P.S.E.B.).
(3.) U is the case of the petitioners that they operate their tube-well pumps in semi-urban and rural areas and for that purpose, they have taken electricity connections from the respbndent-U.P.S.E.B. It is the contention of the petitioners that since they are running the tube-well pumps for agricultural purposes, i.e., for irrigating their agricultural fields, rate schedule applicable to them should be the schedule for private tube-well pumps in rural areas, as given in schedule LMV-5. The petitioners contend that w.e.f. 16.7.1994, the respondent U. P. State Electricity Board has started charging the petitioners under rate schedule of LMV-6, which is for those getting electricity supplies from non-rural/ urban feeders.;