1. In special leave petitions, leave granted.

2. An autonomous body called the Kerala Water and Waste Water Authority was constituted with effect from 1st April, 1984 under S.3(1) of the Kerala Water and Waste Water Ordinance, 1984 (No. 14 of 1984) which Ordinance was brought into force w.e.f. 1st March, 1984. This Ordinance was replaced by similar Ordinances issued from time to time, the last being Ordinance No.271986 which was in turn replaced by the Kerala Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1986 (Act No.14of 1986), (hereinafter called 'the Act'); S.1 (3) whereof provides that it shall be deemed to have come into force on 1st March, 1984. This Act, besides providing for the establishment of an autonomous authority to be called the Kerala Water Authority, makes provision for the development and regulation of water supply and waste water collection and disposal and for matters connected therewith. There is no dispute that the functions which were carried on by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) were transferred to the autonomous body on the enactment of the Ordinance No. 14 of 1984. After the enactment of the Act, every person working in the PHED became the empl