(1) All the aforementioned writ petitions are taken up together since identical issues are involved and disposed of by this common judgment.

(2) These writ petitions have been filed by several petitioners, who were employees of the Durgapur Steel Plant Alloys Steels Plant/Bokaro Steel Plant of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as SAIL), and who have since retired from service. The principal grievance of the writ petitioners emanates from the action of respondent authorities following two different methods in the matter of payment of gratuity to its employees.

(3) The petitioners have stated that the posts held by them before retirement were classified by the respondent authorities as "executive" posts and they were given limited amount of gratuity, upto a maximum ceiling of rupees one lakh upon their retirement. However, in case of other employees of SAIL, they were given gratuity without any ceiling for their entire period of service, classifying them as "non-executives". According to the petitioners, although there were certain baste conditions mentioned in their letter of appointment, the same were changed from time to time on the basis of bip