NATARAJAN, J.

These writ petitions have been clubbed together and posted before us for disposal by a common order since all of them relate to proceedings under the payment of Gratuity Act (No. 39 of 1972), hereinafter referred to as the Act. Most of the petitions have been filed by the Managements of various companies, while the rest of them have been filed by the employees. Since the facts differ in the various batches of cases, we shall deal separately with each batch, and wherever necessary, common questions of law will be dealt with collectively.

2. The first batch of cases, viz, Writ Petition Nos. 1551, to 1553, 1590 to 1598 and 635, of 1976, 2028, 2058, 2073, 2168 and 2170 to 2172 of 1978, 2451 to 2454 of 1978, 2469 to 2471 of 1978, 2570, 2662, to 2665 of 1978, 4136 of 1978, 26 and 614 of 1979, 1732, 1959, 2005 to 2008, 2085, 2122, 2134, 2135, 2171 to 2175, 2412, 2427, 3156 to 3158, 3163 to 3165, 3166, 3567, to 3571, 3972, 4022 to 4029, 4053 to 4058, 4252 to 4255, 4257 to 4259, 4331, 4339, and 4408 to 4414 of 1988, have been filed by Messrs. Jeevanlal Limited. In all these cases, the concerned employee has been impleaded as the first respondent, the Controlling auth