JUDGMENT

Pattanaik, J.-Union of India is the appellant in all these appeals and these appeals are directed against the orders of different Central Administrative Tribunals. The respondents are the employees of the Unit-Run-Canteens which provide canteen facilities to the troops at the unit level. Applications before the Central Administrative Tribunals were filed by these employees claiming benefits as regular defence personnel employees or at least as civilian employees serving under the Ministry of Defence on the allegation that the Unit-Run-Canteens are part of the Canteen Stores Department and since the Canteen Stores Department forms a part of the Government in the Ministry of Defence there is no reason as to why the Unit-Run-Canteens should not be held to be a part of Ministry of Defence. On behalf of Union of India the jurisdiction of the Tribunal was assailed on the ground that these employees cannot be held to be the Government employees and consequently the Tribunal did not have the jurisdiction to entertain the applications and decide the grievances of the employees. According to the Union of India the Unit-Run-Canteens are operated by the non-public funds and the expendi