JUDGMENT

S.C. Agrawal, J.-These appeals and the writ petition raise common questions relating to seniority in the cadre of Assistant Grade-II (for short AG-II ) and promotion to the higher posts of Assistant Grade-I (for short AG-I ) and Superintendent in the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Commission ).

2. In the Commission recruitment and promotion up to a certain level is on regional basis and thereafter it is centralised. In the Personnel and Administration (P & A) Discipline appointment and promotion to the posts of Assistant Grade-III (for short AG-III ), AG-II and AG-I are made on regional basis and appointment and promotion to the higher posts of Superintendent and above are made on centralised basis. There was separate seniority in the cadres of AG-III, AG-II and AG-I for each region while in the higher cadres it was not all India basis. We are concerned with the Central, Western and Headquarters regions. In early 1960s the Commission felt the need of Telex Operators and employees working as AG-III were picked up to work as Telex Operators. With effect from April 1, 1969 a separate cadre of Telex Operators having separate seniority was c