JUDGMENT

V. GOPALA GOWDA, J.

Leave granted.

2. The appellant-Corporation has questioned the correctness of the judgment and order dated 11.08.2011 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras whereby the High Court dismissed the Writ Appeal No. 1006 of 2011 filed by the appellant-Corporation against the dismissal of their W.P. No. 1846 of 2000 challenging the award dated 26.05.1999 passed by the Industrial Tribunal, Tamil Nadu, in I.D. No.66 of 1991, wherein it was held that non- regularisation of the concerned workmen in the dispute is not justified and directed the appellant-Corporation to regularise the services of the concerned workmen with effect from 14.01.1990, the date on which all of them completed 480 days.

3. The relevant facts are briefly stated hereunder to appreciate the rival legal contentions urged on behalf of the parties in this appeal.

The appellant-Corporation is a Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India in the name of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as the 'Corporation'). The Corporation has a project in the Cauveri Basin, situated in and around Karaikal, Union Territory of Puducherry and about 1050 employees have