( 1 ) INDIAN Railway Construction Company Limited (in short the respondent company) is a government of India owned company registered under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956. All the shares of the company are held by the President and/or officers of the Central government in the name of the President of India. The respondent company concededly an instrumentality of State within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution is engaged in the construction and implementation of various projects in the country and abroad pertaining to construction of roads, buildings, bridges, electrification, telecommunication, railway tracking, and construction work pertaining to airports.

( 2 ) PETITIONERS in these five writ petitions were appointed at Anpara Project of the respondent company on casual/ad hoc basis on a consolidated monthly emoluments of Rs. 400 subject to the condition that they will have to undergo training for the prescribed period during which they would be entitled to an additional emoluments of Rs. 50 if posted in Delhi. Bombay or Calcutta and on satisfactory completion of the training, they would be required to pass a written and oral examination, on p