( 1 ) THE questions involving in these matters being identical, they were taken up for hearing together and are being disposed of by this common judgment.

( 2 ) ON September 27, 1973 the petitioner was appointed with respondent Bank on a permanent basis. The petitioner was promoted from time to time and in the year 1996 he was holding the post of the Deputy chief Manager in the General Administration Department of the respondent.

( 3 ) IN the year 1993, the Oriental Bank of Commerce employees Pension Scheme, 1993 (hereinafter called "thd scheme") came into being. In 1995, the respondents, in exercise of their powers under section 19 of the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of undertakings) Act, 1990 made regulations known as the Oriental Bank of commerce (Employees ) Pension Regulations, 1995 (hereinafter called and referred to as "the Regulations" for short ). The petitioner who was in the service of the Bank at that time exercised his option to become a member of the Bank s Pension Scheme. As per the provisions of the scheme, the petitioner authorized the Bank/trustee of the Contributory provident Funk to transfer the entire Bank s share of the contribution t