JUDGMENT

VENKATARAMIAH, J. :— The question. for consideration in this appeal by Special Leave is whether the Government of a State can be treated as the appropriate Government under Section 2(a) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (hereinafter referred to as the Act) in relation to any industrial dispute concerning the office of the Regional Provident Fund organisation established by the Central Government for that State under, the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (hereinafter referred to as the Provident Funds Act).

2. The facts of the case are these : The Government of Karnataka made a reference under Sec. 10 of the Act referring a certain dispute between the Regional Provident Fund organisation established under the Provident Funds Act for the State of Karnataka and its employees to the Additional Industrial Tribunal, Bangalore and the said reference came to be registered as A. I. D. 3 of 1979 on the file of the Tribunal. Before the tribunal the Regional Provident Fund organisation raised among other pleas two preliminary objections to the reference viz. that the activity carried on by the management was not an industry and that the State Governme