1. - Heard learned Counsel for the parties.

2. The petition is directed against the order of Central Administrative Tribunal seeking the benefit of pay protection of respondent No. I which he was drawing at the time of his recruitment through Union Public Service Commission to Indian Bureau of Mines from his immediately predecessor employer 'Rajasthan State Mineral Development Corporation Ltd.' a Public Sector Undertakings of the State of Rajasthan wherein he was serving since 13.5.1983. The petitioner has extended pay protection to the respondent No. 1 w.e.f. 1.4.1992 instead of from 26.2.1990 the date when he was so recruited. The respondent No. 1 has approached Central Administrative Tribunal for seeking redress against not protecting his pay which he was drawing from the Public Sector Undertakings at the time of his recruitment with Indian Bureau of Mines from the date of recruitment but only from a later date. He placed reliance on the office memorandum of pay protection issued by the Central Government on 7.8.1989 which was in force at the time when the respondent was recruited to the Central Government services. The petitioners defended their action of extending pay