Judgment

VAIDIALINGAM, J.:- These two appeals, by special leave, are directed against the judgment and order dated 25126-2-1969, of the Bombay High Court in Miscellaneous Petition No. 75 of l967, quashing the orders of the Central Government as well as certain other orders equating the post of Sales Tax Officer of old Madhya Pradesh with the post of Sales Tax Officer, Grade II, of old Bombay. Civil Appeal No. 2303 of 1969 is by the Union of India and Civil Appeal No. 2304 of 1969 is by some of the Sales Tax Officers of the old Madhya Pradesh State. They are also respondents in the Union s appeal. The appellants, in the latter appeal, support the Union Government in all respects. In the course of the judgment, we will refer to the array of parties as in Civil Appeal No. 2303 of 1969.

2. Respondents 8 to 13 and 15, along with six others, were serving as Sales Tax Officers in the State of Madhya Pradesh. On the reorganisation of States as from November 1, 1956, these 13 officers were allotted to the bilingual State of Bombay. By Notification Dated November 16, 1957, the State Government issued an order for equation of the various posts. The Sales Tax Officers from Madhya Pradesh were eq