STATE OF PUNJAB Vs. GIAN CHAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted in all the Special Leave Petitions.

(2.) Petitioners before the High Court and Respondent Nos.1 to 26 before this Court, were in service of the Punjab State Electricity Board (for short, the 'PSEB') on different posts. All these respondents superannuated on different dates between 31st July, 2003 and 30th October, 2006 after they had satisfactorily rendered the required years of service in PSEB. Though these respondents had retired on different dates, their grievance was common and hence all of them filed a common writ petition challenging the circular dated 29th July, 2003 issued by the Government. The circular dated 29th July, 2003 reads as under :

(3.) The grievance of the respondents was in relation to the table of calculation of commutation of pension, which had been replaced to the disadvantage of the persons who had retired within the above-referred period. They pleaded violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.