JUDGMENT

MAJMUDAR, J.:—These two civil appeals by special leave seek to challenge a common order dated 30-1-1988 of the Administrative Tribunal, Karnataka in Applications Nos. 4814 and 4815 of 1986 moved by the present two appellants. The Tribunal has dismissed these applications.

2. A few introductory facts to highlight the common grievance of the appellants may be noted at the outset. The appellants were initially diploma holders in engineering. They were recruited as Supervisors in the years 1960 and 1961 in the Public Works Department of Karnataka State. Later, appellant No. 1 acquired degree in Civil Engineering in 1967 and appellant No. 2 acquired graduation in engineering in 1970. At the time of their recruitment, relevant recruitment rules envisaged that only degree holders were entitled to be appointed as Junior Engineers, whereas diploma holders could be appointed as Supervisors. In 1969 this position was changed and both the cadres of Junior Engineers and Supervisors were merged into one cadre of Junior Engineers. This was followed by an order of the Karnataka State in 1971 extending identical pay scales with retrospective effect from 1-1-1957 to both graduate and diploma