ORDER

This special leave petition arises from the judgment of the Division Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, made on January 15, 1997 in LPA No. 255/96. The first respondent had evolved the LTC Rules for its executive cadre employees and the same were last revised on May 15, 1989. Therefore Clause 1(b)(ii) postulates that:

"Once in a block of 4 calender years commencing from the 1st January, 1976 the executive cadre employees will be entitled to the concession under these rules for journeys to any place in India. This concession will, however, be in lieu of LTC entitlement of that year to travel to home town and back. This facility of availing LTC for journeys to any place in India once in 4 years will also be available to employees whose home towns are either the same or very close to their places of posting and so are not entitled to LTC for home town.

The employees and/or members of the family may avail of LTC facilities for travel to the same place or to different places of their choice in respect of the facility available to visit any place in India in a block of 4 years."

2. Subsequently, by the Resolution No. 159 dated September 14, 1996, the respondent had given option