JUDGMENT

1. This petition preferred under Article 226 of the Constitution of India comes with a prayer for direction by this Court for issue of a writ of mandamus or order of such nature directing the respondents-authority to make payment of gratuity along with interest to the petitioners herein.

2. The petitioners are employees at various posts under the Meghalaya State Co-operative Marketing & Consumer's Federation Limited (hereinafter referred to as MECOFED) Lumdiengjri, Shillong-02, East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya during various tenures till retirement on the due date.

3. The crux of the challenge in this writ petition has its genesis in a retirement package, termed as the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) which is also referred as the 'Golden Handshake Scheme' offered by the respondent authority during the year 2001-2002 which was accepted by some of the employees, about 95 of them, but was declined by the petitioners who had chosen to continue in service, after which having completed their due tenure of service, the petitioners' services came to be terminated by their reaching the retirement age in the usual course.

4. It is the case of the petitioners that since the incepti