( 1 ) THE Writ Appeals by the State are directed against the interim orders passed in the Writ Petitions by a learned single Judge of this Court directing the appellants not to retire the petitioners- archakas from service on their attaining the age of 58 years and to continue them in service until further orders in the Writ petitions. When the Writ Appeals came up for hearing, with the consent of learned counsel appearing for both the parties, the writ Petitions were also taken up for hearing and accordingly both the writ appeals and writ petitions are being disposed of by this common judgment.

( 2 ) THE respondents-writ petitioners are the Archakas working in different temples under regulatory jurisdiction of the endowments Department of the State. By individual notices, they were informed that they will be retired from service with effect from 31-7-2001 before they attain the age of 65 years. Aggrieved by such notices, the petitioners filed the writ petitions for. a writ of mandamus declaring the action of the appellants respondents in seeking to retire them before attaining the age of 65 years as illegal, arbitrary and unjust and for a direction to continue them