Rajendra Menon, J.

1. As common questions are involved in all these petitions and as challenge made in these petitions are to order dated 31.7.2008, by which services of the Petitioners are being retrenched in accordance to the provisions of Section 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, all these petitions are being heard and decided by this order. For the sake of convenience and as requested for by the parties, documents filed and the pleadings available in the record of W.P. No. 9989/2008 is being referred to in this order.

2. The Petitioners were employed in the establishment of the Respondents in various capacities. As far as Petitioner Vijay Kumar Bajpayee, in W.P. No. 9989/2008(S), is concerned, he was appointed as a Junior Assistant vide order-dated 23.5.1990. It is the case of this Petitioner that he was appointed in the regular establishment of the Respondents, whereas it is the case of the Respondents that each of the Petitioner was appointed in a particular Project known as Integrated Rural Energy Programme (hereinafter referred to as 'IREP'). According to the Petitioner Vijay Kumar Bajpayee, his initial appointment vide Annexure P/1 on 23.5.90 was on probation