1. At the time of the formation of the Kerala State Electricity Board on 141957, the petitioner was an Executive Engineer in the Electricity Department of the State. Along with other members of the said Department, he was transferred to the service of the Board, subject to certain guarantees as to conditions of service which were embodied in Ext. P-1 G. P. dated 3rd April 1957, generally referred to as the "Guarantee G. P."

2. Under S.79(c) of the Electricity Supply Act, 1948, (referred to hereafter as the Act) the Board was entitled to make rules to provide inter alia for the salaries and other conditions of service of its officers and servants. No such separate rules were framed; and the Board was content to adopt the Kerala Service Rules (compendiously referred to as the K. S. R.), framed under Art.309 of the Constitution and relating to the conditions of service of Government Servants, as the Rules of the Board. It further ordered that the amendments to the K. S. R. already issued and to be issued from time to time and the clarifications thereto would apply to the Board, unless excluded by specific order (vide Exts. P-1, R-1 and R-2).

3. The petitioner became Chief En