JUDGMENT

P. Venkatarama Reddi, J.-The petitioner is a Trade-Union of workmen which is seeking to enforce the claim of its members employed in 223 depots of Food Corporation of India ( FCI for short) under the Direct Payment System (hereinafter referred to as DPS ) for payment of wages at par with departmental workmen of FCI. It is contended that the direct payment system having been given a go-bye for good and direct relationship of employer and employee having been established between the labour force governed by DPS and the Management, the Respondent-Corporation is under an obligation to accord the same treatment to them as is being given to the departmentalised/absorbed workmen. It is submitted that the nature, type of work and the modalities of carrying out the handling work by the DPS workers and the departmental workers in the various depots of FCI is the same and therefore denial of equal wages and other service benefits to the DPS workers is arbitrary, discriminatory and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. In short, this petition under Article 32 is based on the plea of equal pay for equal work. A writ to direct the Respondent-Corporation to grant same wa