Protik Prakash Banerjee, J. - (1.) This writ court has been approached in its jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, 1950 by four writ petitioners in W.P. No. 337 of 2018, W.P. No. 338 of 2018, W.P. No. 339 of 2018 and W.P. No. 340 of 2018 praying for a writ of mandamus against the respondent authorities for the recovery of price in respect of medicines sold and delivered by the writ petitioners to the respondent no. 6 in all the writ petitions. For the better understanding of the reliefs sought by the writ petitioners in the aforesaid writ petitions, prayer (a) appended to the respective writ petitions have been extracted and setout herein below: In W.P. No. 337 of 2018: (a) A writ in the nature of mandamus do issue commanding the respondents and each one of them, their men, agents and/or assigns to make payment of all outstanding bills raised and submitted by the petitioners against the various work orders for the total amount of Rs. 18,49,734/- (Rupees eighteen lakhs, forty-nine thousand, seven hundred and thirty four only) and such payment to be disbursed to the petitioner no. 1 as expeditiously as possible. In W.P. No. 338 of 2018: (a) A writ in the nature of mandamus do issue commanding the respondents and each one of them, their men, agents and/or assigns to make payment of all outstanding bills raised and submitted by the petitioners against the various work orders for the total amount of Rs. 26,76,673/- (Rupees twenty six lakhs, seventy six thousand, six hundred and seventy three only) and such payment to be disbursed to the petitioner no. 1 as expeditiously as possible. In W.P. No. 339 of 2018: (a) Issue a writ in the nature of mandamus commanding the respondents no. 1 to forthwith release sum of Rs. 8,69,174/- (Rupees eight lakhs, sixty nine thousand, one hundred and seventy four only) along with interest thereon at such rate as maybe deem fit by this Hon'ble court to the petitioner on account of outstanding bills and/or tax invoices being Annexure "P/2" to this writ petition. In W.P. No. 339 of 2018: (a) Issue a writ of or in the nature of mandamus commanding the respondents no. 1 to forthwith release sum of Rs. 10, 56, 000/- (Rupees ten lakhs, fifty six thousand only) along with interest thereon at such rate as maybe deem fit by this Hon'ble court to the petitioner on account of outstanding bills and/or tax invoices being Annexure "P/2" to this writ petition.
(2.) Since all the writ petitions being W.P. No. 337 of 2018, W.P. No. 338 of 2018, W.P. No. 339 of 2018 and W.P. No. 340 of 2018 raise common questions of law and fact, with the consent of the parties, I have consolidated them and heard them analogously.
(3.) The writ petitioners in all the writ petitioners are partnership firms along with their respective partners engaged in and carrying out the business of supplying medicines. They had approached this court previously in an earlier round of litigation when the writ petitions were dismissed on the sole ground that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, respondent no. 1 herein, being as a necessary party to the writ petitioners case was not arrayed as a defendant. However, liberty was given to the writ petitioners to file the writ petitions afresh. It is in this manner that the writ petitions came to be heard before this court.;