IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision:- 11.02.2011 L.P.A.No.1588 of 2010 M/s. R.K.Machine Tools Ltd., Industrial Area, Ludhiana ....Petitioner(s) vs. Punjab State Electricity Board, Patiala (Now Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd., the Mall, Patiala) and others ....Respondent(s) L.P.A.No.1589 of 2010 M/s. R.K.Machine Tools Ltd., Industrial Area, Ludhiana ....Petitioner(s) vs. Punjab State Electricity Board, Patiala (Now Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd., the Mall, Patiala) and others ....Respondent(s) L.P.A.No.89 of 2011 M/s. R.K.Machine Tools Ltd., Industrial Area, Ludhiana ....Petitioner(s) vs. Punjab State Electricity Board, Patiala (Now Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd., the Mall, Patiala) and others ....Respondent(s) *** CORAM:HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE RANJAN GOGOI, ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE AUGUSTINE GEORGE MASIH *** Present:- Mr.J.S.Toor, Advocate, for the appellant. Mr.Sukhbir Singh, Advocate, for respondents No.1 and 2. *** L.P.A.No.1588, 1589 of 2010 & 89 of 2011 -2- Ranjan Gogoi, ACJ. (Oral) This order shall dispose of three Letters Patent Appeals i.e. L.P.A.Nos.1588, 1589 of 2010 and LPA No.89 of 2011. Letters Patent Appeals No.1588 and 1589 of 2010 are directed against the order dated 13.8.2010 while LPA No.89 of 2011 is directed against the order dated 28.9.2010 passed by the learned Single Judge insofar as requirement of furnishing a bank guarantee by the appellant-writ petitioners is concerned. It may be noticed, at this stage, that by the orders dated 13.8.2010 and 28.9.2010, the learned Single Judge had directed that the appeals filed by the appellant-writ petitioners against the demand raised by the respondents should be heard and disposed of by the Commissioner (Appeals), Patiala Division, Patiala. The learned Single Judge had passed the aforesaid direction after interfering with the earlier order dated 21.8.2008 passed by the learned Commissioner (Appeals). There is no challenge to the interference made by the learned Single Judge and the directions for disposal of the appeal afresh. It is only the direction with regard to furnishing of bank guarantee during the interregnum that has been assailed by the appellant-writ petitioners in the appeals. The amount involved in the present appeals i.e. LPA No.1588 of 2010 is ` 7,61,507/- , LPA No.1589 of 2010 ` 3,33,629/- and LPA No.89 of 2011 ` 1,61,457.69 P. The appellant-writ petitioners have already deposited 1/3rd of the amounts. In such circumstances, we deem it appropriate to interfere with the direction of the learned Single Judge L.P.A.No.1588, 1589 of 2010 & 89 of 2011 -3- with regard to bank guarantee and direct disposal of the appeals by the Commissioner (Appeals) at an early date. Letters Patent Appeals stand disposed of as indicated above. A photocopy of this order be placed on the files of connected cases. ( RANJAN GOGOI ) ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE February 11, 2011 ( AUGUSTINE GEORGE MASIH ) poonam JUDGE