JUDGMENT

RANGANATHAN, J.:— The appellant Vishwanath Sood undertook the construction of a Farmers Community Centre Building at Thanedhar by an agreement entered into with the Union of India and the State of Himachal Pradesh dated 20-6-1968. Certain disputes arose between the parties to the agreement and in terms of clause 25 of the agreement they were referred to a sole arbitrator. The contractor submitted a claim of Rs. 1,28,000 while the respondents also submitted a counter-claim. By an award dated 20-3-1972, the arbitrator awarded an amount of Rs. 31,932/- to the contractor and a sum of Rs. 21,504/- to the respondents. The award was filed in the court. The contractor filed an application in the court for modification or correction of the award in respect of three items of his claim (1, 8 and 9) and item No. 1 of the respondents counter claim. The Department also filed its objections to the award and prayed that a sum of Rs. 8,080.29 should be awarded in favour of the Department or the award remitted to arbitrator. The learned single Judge dismissed the objections of the respondents. So far as the appellants prayers were concerned, he allowed the same only in respect of item 1 of