JUDGMENT

P.V.BALAKRISHNAN, J

This intra-court appeal is filed by respondents 1 and 4 in W.P.(C)No.37932/2022, challenging the judgment dated 26.10.2023, passed by the learned single judge, allowing the writ petition filed by respondents 1 to 15 herein.

2. Respondents 1 to 15 herein/writ petitioners are the retired employees of the Kerala State Co-operative Bank (hereinafter referred to as 'the Bank' for short). Respondents 1 to 15 have rendered more than 20 years of service and they are aggrieved by the non-disbursement of their eligible higher gratuity, in terms of Appendix IV of the Kerala State Co-operative Bank Staff Regulations(hereinafter referred to as the 'Regulations'). At the time of joining, respondents 1 to 15 had signed a declaration stating that they are agreeing for gratuity equal to one months' pay for every year of service, subject to a maximum of 15 months' pay. Even though respondents 1 to 15 were eligible to a higher gratuity as per the Regulations, all of them were paid only Rs. 20 Lakhs. Since, respondents 1 to 15 were eligible to receive better terms of gratuity as per the Regulations, they submitted Exts.P2 to P16 representations respectively, before the Bank c