ALL INDIA RADIO Vs. SANTOSH KLJMAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted in the S.L.Ps.

(2.) In this group of appeals, the common question which arises for our consideration is to the effect whether the appellant-All India Radio and Doordarshan, as the case may be, are 'industries' within the meaning of the said term as defined by S. 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 ('the Act' for short).

(3.) The respondent-employees were either clerks or linemen/watchmen and other casual workers working at the relevant time as employees of either All India Radio or Doordarshan Kendras. In Civil Appeal No. 2423 of 1989 respondent No. 1 was Grade-II Clerk in Chattarpur Station of All India Radio. In Civil Appeal No. 2135 of 1993 respondent-workman was casual Fitter-cum-Watchman working at Doordarshan Kendra T.V. Relay Centre Dwarka, Gujarat, while the contesting respondents in Civil Appeals arising out of S.L.P. (C) Nos. 7722-7722-A of 1993 were daily rated workmen working at Doordarshan Kendra, Ranchi. They had challenged their orders of termination or non-regularisation before the authorities constituted under the Act. Their termination orders were set aside and regularisation was granted, as the case may be, to the concerned respondents with consequential benefits. The writ petitions filed before the High Court by All India Radio or Doordarshan Kendra, as the case may be, were dismissed and that is how they are before us in these appeals.