JUDGMENT

S.B. Sinha, J.-Civil Appeal Nos. 4593-4594 of 2002 and 4595-4596 of 2002 have been filed by the appellants thereof (hereinafter referred to as "Promotees") upon obtaining permission to file the Special Leave applications against the judgment and order dated 10.8.2001 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Bombay Bench at Aurangabad in Writ Petition No. 255/1990. Writ Petition No. 1551/1990 has been filed by All India Backward Class Bank Employees Welfare Association (hereinafter referred to as "Association") which is the respondent No. 1 in the aforementioned appeals and the appellant in Civil Appeal No. 4597/2002.

Facts :

2. The Promotees are employees of Marathwada Gramin Bank (hereinafter referred to as "Bank").

3. A circular bearing No. Ho/ST/Cir No. 35/88 (159) dated 8.11.1988 was issued by the Respondent Bank notifying the eligibility criteria for internal promotion to the posts of Officers and Field Supervisors. The Board of Directors of the Bank passed a resolution dated 10.11.1989 approving the proposal to fill in 23 posts of Officers and 45 posts of Field Supervisors by promotion fixing the cut off date for eligibility therefor as on 31.8.1989. The promotions wer