JUDGMENT

Arijit Pasayat, J.-Leave granted in SLP (C) Nos. 15808-15811/98 and 2998-2999/99.

2. These appeals have their base on a judgment of the High Court of Karnataka at Bangalore disposing of writ petitions Nos. 3426-27/1986 and writ petition Nos. 6432-35/1987.

3. The background scenario in which the present dispute appears, lies within a very narrow factual compass. Six persons who are the respondents in the appeal Nos. 4312-4317/98 (hereinafter referred to as the employees ) were ex-servicemen in the Indian Army. They are appellants in the other appeals. After discharge from Army service they were employed by the State Bank of India (in short the Bank ). They were discharged from defence services during the period from 1.4.1982 to 1.9.1984 and joined the Bank on different dates during the period from 11.8.1983 to 7.6.1984. In terms of the Government of India s policy, the basic pay and the dearness allowance last drawn by them while in military service was to be protected while fixing their pay on absorption into public sector banks. During the period when the employees joined the bank, the pay and allowances payable to employees of the Bank were governed by the Third Bipartite