JUDGMENT

PUNCHHI, J:— These four matters have converged in this Court requiring settlement of a serious dispute of seniority in the Orissa Administrative Services. One is a Civil Appeal and the remaining three are writ petitions.

2. Prior to January 7, 1972, there were in the Services two cadres, namely, Orissa Administrative Service Class II (for short O.A.S. II) and Orissa Subordinate Administrative Service Class III (for short O.S.A.S. II). The members of O.A.S. II were known as Deputy Collectors and those of O.S.A.S. III as Sub Deputy Collectors. Recruitment to O.A.S. II was regulated by a set of rules known as Orissa Administrative Service Class II.(Recruitment) Rules, 1959 (for short the Recruitment Rules of 1959) and recruitment to O.S.A.S. III was regulated by Orissa Subordinate Administrative Service (Recruitment) Rules, 1959. On the recommendation of a High Power Committee, the Government of Orissa decided to merge them and to have a single cadre known as O.A.S. II with a senior branch (S.B.) and junior branch (J. B.) so that all the existing officers, be they in O.A.S. II and O.S.A.S. III should be absorbed in O.A.S. II (S.J.). It was decided that the total integration o