JUDGMENT :

1. Heard Sri O.P. Srivastava, learned Senior Advocate assisted by Sri Shobh Nath Pandey and Sri Kaushlendra Yadav, Advocates for the petitioners and Sri Vivek Kumar Shukla, learned Additional Chief Standing Counsel for the State-respondents. Useful Assistance was provided by Law Trainee/ Clerk (Ms. Shama Parveen) of this Court.

2. By means of first writ petition i.e. Writ Petition No.2306 (S/S) of 2004, the petitioners have prayed for the following reliefs:-

"(a) to issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of certiorari to quash the Government Orders dated 20.07.2001, 08.08.2001 and 03.09.2001, contained in Annexure Nos.1, 2 and 3 to the writ petition, to the extent they provide cut off date as 01.07.2001 for the grant of the benefit of the amended pay-scale of Rs.5500-9000, by declaring it arbitrary and unconstitutional

(b) to issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus thereby commanding the opposite parties to extend the benefit of the amended pay-scale of Rs.5500-9000 with effect from 01.01.1996 in accordance with the earlier Government Order dated 10th July, 1998, contained in Annexure No.4 to the writ petition and to fix the pension of the petition