JUDGMENT

PARIPOORNAN, J. :—The petitioner in Writ Petition No. 1329 of 1979 of the High Court of Madras, is the appellant herein. This appeal is filed against the Judgment of the High Court of Madras dated 26-10-1983, in pursuant to the special leave granted by this Court on 13-1-1986 in S.L.P. (C) No. 3643 of 1984. There are three respondents in this appeal. They are: The Union Territory of Pondicherry represented by its Chief Secretary, The Union of India represented by Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Shri D.R. Ramachandran, former Home Minister of Pondicherry.

2. The relevant facts which gave rise to this appeal may be stated. The date of birth of the appellant is 25-8-1934. She was appointed as a Child Welfare Organiser under the Pondicherry State Social Welfare Advisory Board on 21-11-1958. The service of the employees of the Board was merged with the Government service. The employees of the Advisory Board became Government employees. On 11-12-1962 the appellant was appointed as Social Education Organiser in the Development Department, Government of Pondicherry. In 1973, the appellant was Assistant Director of the Social Welfare Department. At that time, the third resp