Hon'ble KOTHARI, J.—By these writ petitions, the petitioners, former employees of respondent State Farm Corporation of India Limited, a Govt. of India undertaking, have approached this Court for seeking directions to the respondent Corporation to give them the benefit of ex-gratia amount if terms of the Voluntary Retirement Scheme announced by the respondent vide Annex. 2 dated 10.3.2000.

2. The petitioners have mainly contended by these writ petitions filed in the year 2009 that similarly situated employees approached this Court for the same purpose and their writ petitions came to be allowed by this Court on 4.8.2008, copy of one such judgment of coordinate bench of this Court in SBCWP No. 3005/2002 - Hakam Ali vs. State Farm Corporation of India Ltd. & Anr. has been placed on record. The relevant extract of the said order is reproduced hereunder for ready reference:-

"The Voluntary Retirement Scheme provides for ex-gratia payment equal to emoluments determined for each completed year of service. The term ex-gratia in the scheme concern nowhere refers the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. In general terms, ex-gratia is something that has been done voluntarily out of kindness or grace.

Click Here to Read the rest of this document