JUDGMENT

RANGANATHAN, J.:—The appellants were in service as tubewell operators in the Irrigation Branch of the Public Works Department of the Punjab State. The State took a decision to transfer all the tubewells in this branch to the Punjab State Tubewell Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the Corporation), a company wholly owned and managed by the State of Punjab. Consequent on this decision, a notification was issued on 30th November, 1982 to the effect that "the posts sanctioned for the Tubewell Circle, Irrigation Branch, Punjab, are no longer needed in the public interest." It was, therefore, ordered that all the permanent posts sanctioned for the above circle be abolished with effect from 1-3-1983 and that all temporary posts be discontinued with effect from the same date. A little earlier, on 31st August, 1982, the petitioners were served with notices in terms of S. 25-F of the Industrial Disputes Act (hereinafter referred to as S. 25F) terminating their services with effect from 30th November, 1982. These notices were, however, set aside as not being in consonance with Cl. (c) of S. 25-F. The State Government, therefore, issued fresh notices terminating the services of