JUDGMENT

A.K. Mathur, J.—These appeals are directed against the order dated 4th October, 2002 passed by the Division Bench of the High Court of Judicature, Andhra Pradesh at Hyderabad in batch of Writ Petitions filed by the State against the common order passed by Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal (hereinafter to be referred toas ‘the Tribunal’) in batch of original applications on 12th July, 2002 in OA No. 9461/2001 & others.

2. The respondents herein were the petitioners before the Tribunal. They were all Inspectors of Police working at various places and in various wings in the Police Department in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Most of them were working as Inspectors of Police in the city of Hyderabad. They approached the Tribunal with a prayer to declare insertion of Note-2 of Rule 3 and proviso to Rule 6 of the Andhra Pradesh Police (Civil) Service Rules, 1998 (hereinafter to be referred to as ‘Rules of 1998’) issued by G.O. Ms. No. 267, Home (Police-E) Department, dated 26th November, 2001 by amendment of Rule as arbitrary and discriminatory being violative of Articles 14,16, 21 and 311 of the Constitution of India.

3. By this amendment a schem