( 1 ) THE applicant is a Railway Contractor. He filed his Arbitration Application under section 11 (6) of the Arbitration and conciliation Act, 1996, for appointment of an Arbitrator for adjudication of the claims/ disputes, which arose between him and the respondents.

( 2 ) THE applicant was awarded a contract under an agreement dated 27-10-1998. The nature of the work is guntakal-Wadi section, replacement of bridge timbers with new steel channel sleepers for Br. No. 1017 at km 536/4-537/5 (36 x 19. 20 M "g"), between Mantralayam Road - Hanumapur (1092 sleepers of 2. 6m length) . The value of the work is Rs. 58,26,960. 00. The work was to be completed within six months. As the respondents did not supply the material required for executing the work, the applicant could not complete the work in time, and the currency of the contract was extended. The applicant completed the work on 26-9-2000. Though the applicant received some payments, he raised certain claims, and in that regard a lot of correspondence took place between the applicant and the respondents. The applicant though got issued a legal notice dated 18-12-2001 requesting the respondents to appoint an arbit