JUDGMENT

1. Rule. Rule is made returnable forthwith. With the consent of the learned counsel appearing for the parties, the petitions are taken up for final disposal at the stage of admission.

2. These two writ petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution of India , being Writ Petition No.56 of 2026 and Writ Petition No.65 of 2026, raise a common challenge and hence are heard together and are being disposed of by this common judgment.

3. The petitioners are medical officers who served under the Zilla Parishad set-up and retired upon attaining the age of superannuation, one on 30.06.2018 and the other on 31.07.2018. It is not in dispute that the 7^th Pay Commission benefits were extended to them for the purpose of pay fixation during service and for revision of pensionary benefits after retirement. The dispute is confined to the non-practicing allowance (NPA) at the rate of 35%, which, according to the petitioners, ought to be reckoned for the purpose of their revised pension with effect from 01.01.2016, i.e., the date from which the 7^th Pay Commission is stated to have been implemented. The petitioners assail the action of respondent No. 2 to the extent it denies them 35% NPA in th