1 This Writ Appeal arises from the judgment in OP No. 4546 of 1984. The learned Judge dismissed the Original Petition holding that petitioner was no longer a member of the Kerala Engineering Service and was therefore not competent to be included in the elect list for promotion to the post of Chief Engineer in that Service. The question which arises for our consideration is whether or not the petitioner and others like him who, while working in the Kerala Engineering Service (also referred to here as the "main" or "general" Service), joined, the mechanical branch of that Service, ceased to be members of the main Service so as to be ineligible for promotion to the post of Chief Engineer. In other words, is the mechanical branch an independent Service, or is it, as contended by the petitioner, a part of the Kerala Engineering Service?

2 Schedules.1 and 2 of the Kerala Civil Services (CC & A) Rules, 1960 respectively contain the lists of Kerala State Services and Kerala Subordinate Services. Item No. 7 in the 1st Schedule is the Kerala Engineering Service and item No. 7 in the IInd Schedule is the Kerala Engineering Subordinate Service.

3 All persons in the Kerala Engineering Service ar