Judgment

SHELAT, J.:- This appeal, by certificate, is directed against the judgment and order of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh and raises the question of the scope of jurisdiction of the Authority under the Payment of Wages Act, 4 of 1936 (hereinafter referred to as the Act).

2. On the licence of the Barnagar Electric Supply and Industry Company, of which respondent 1 was at all material times the managing director, having been revoked by the Madhya Pradesh Government and the company s undertaking having been taken over by the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board, respondent I served notices on the company s employees that their services would no longer be required as from October 1, 1962. Thereupon the appellant on behalf of 20 employees of the company filed an application under Section 15 (2) of the Act to recover from respondent 1 wages for the notice month and retrenchment compensation amounting to Rs. 12,853.60 P. payable to the employees under Section 25FF of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. On respondent 1 contesting the claim as also the jurisdiction of the Authority, the Authority raised certain preliminary issues, namely : (1) whether the said application was maintainable