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NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 10001 of 2010

PEPSICO (INDIA) HOLDINGS PVT. LTD. Appellant(s)                                 VERSUS

GROCERY MARKETS & SHOPS BOARD & ORS.         Respondent(s) J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J. 1. The  appellant  approached  this  Court  aggrieved  by the Judgment dated 22.07.2009 passed by the High Court of judicature of Bombay in Writ Petition No. 4937 of 2009. 2. The  dispute  pertains  to  the  application  of  the Scheme framed under the Maharashtra Mathadi, Hamal and Other  Manual  Workers  (Regulation  of  Employment  and Welfare) Act, 1969. 3. Mr. V. Giri, learned senior counsel appearing for the  appellant,  has  submitted  that  there  was  also  a challenge with regard to the application of the Act as well.   Be  that  as  it  may,  the  High  Court,  by  the impugned  Judgment  has  relegated  the  appellant  to  the remedy available under Section 5 of the Act which reads as under :-

"5.   Disputes  regarding  application

of  scheme  -  If  any  question  arises

whether  any  scheme  applies  to  any

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class  of  unprotected  workers  or

employers,  the  matter  shall  be

referred to the State Government and

the decision of the State Government

on the question, which shall be taken

after  consulting  the  Advisory

Committee  constituted  under  section

14, shall be final."

4. The following are the directions issued by the High Court :-

"(i) The petitioner shall make an

application  and/or  reference  to  the

State Government under section 5 of

the  Mathadi Act  within a  period of

eight weeks from today.   

(ii) The  Government  shall

entertain  the  said  reference  and

shall decide the same within a period

of 12 weeks after giving opportunity

to  all  concerned,  namely,  the

concerned  Boards,  workers  and  the

Petition.   

(iii)  So  far  as  the  workers  which

have been noted by the Board to be

covered  under  the  Scheme  are

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concerned,  their  services  are

protected  for a  period of  12 weeks

and the Petitioner shall provide them

work  and  make  payment  as  per  the

Board directions during the pendency

of the reference.   

(iv) Petition  is  accordingly

disposed  of  by  making  the  Rule

absolute in the aforesaid terms."

5. In view of the language employed in Section 5, we make it clear that it will be open to the appellant to raise all disputes, whether it be on the factory at  Rajangarh  or  the  warehouse  at  Panvel,  to  the Government and the Government shall address the same. 6. We give liberty to the appellant a further period of 12 weeks from today to raise the disputes before the Government and the Government shall consider and pass appropriate orders in accordance with law within three months thereafter.   7. Till the orders are passed as above, the interim order  passed  by  this  Court  on  18.11.2010  shall continue.   8. We also make it clear that we have not considered the  appeal  on  merits  and  all  the  contentions available to both the sides are left open.    

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9. In  view  of  the  above,  the  civil  appeal  is disposed of with no order as to costs.

.......................J.               [ KURIAN JOSEPH ]  

.......................J.               [ ROHINTON FALI NARIMAN ]  New Delhi; February 04, 2016.  

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