JUDGMENT :

1. Heard Sri Shashank Shekhar Mishra, Sri Siddharth Khare and Sri Jamil Ahamad Azmi learned counsel for the petitioners, Sri Govind Krishna who appears for the Nagar Palika Parishad Azamgarh and Sri Ajit Kumar Singh learned Additional Advocate General assisted by Sri Chandan Kumar learned Standing Counsel for the State respondents.

2. These three petitions which raise a common question have with the consent of parties been taken up for disposal together.

3. All the petitioners essentially seek the addition of services rendered in an ad hoc or temporary capacity for the purposes of computation of pensionary benefits. It may at the outset be stated that these petitions were taken up for disposal together since the Court was faced with similar writ petitions coming up before it daily. It was thus thought expedient that the basic issues which would need to be borne in mind by the respondents while dealing with such claims would warrant articulation. On the aforesaid view being expressed, Sri Ajit Kumar Singh the learned Additional Advocate General, in his usual fairness, suggested that since the petitions are proposed to be disposed of without the State being invited to file fo