Judgment

K. Venkataswami, J.-Leave granted.

2. The law on the common issue that arises for decision in these cases is well settled and, therefore, we do not propose to write a detailed judgment. The common issue that arises in all these cases can be broadly stated as follows:-

“Whether the appellant-Board has acted illegally or contrary to law in introducing a pension scheme to the employees, who were hitherto not governed by such pension scheme, prospectively from 1.7.1986. To put it differently, whether the employees (respondents) who were all retired before 1.7.86 after receiving all retiral benefits available to them as per the law existing on their dates of retirement, can compel the appellant-Board to extend the benefit of newly introduced pension scheme with retrospective effect.”

3. Let us now give facts in brief to appreciate the common issue raised in these cases.

The appellant-Board was brought into existence on 1.7.1957 in accord­ance with Section 5 of the Indian Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 (hereinafter called the ‘Act’). The employees of the Electricity Department of the Govt. of Tamil Nadu were transferred to the appellant-Board on and from 1.7.1957 and the erstwhile em