Judgment of the Court was delivered by

Ray, C J.

1. These petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution challenge the validity of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 referred to as the Act and of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Central Rules and Rules of the States of Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

2. The petitioners carryon the business of contractors for construction of roads, building, weigh bridges and dams.

3. The Act requires contractor to take out licences. The Act also imposes certain duties and liabilities on the contractors.

4. The Act defines in section 2(c) a "contractor" in relation to an establishment to mean a person who undertakes to produce a given result for the establishment, other than a mere supply of goods or articles of manufacture to such establishment, through contract labour or who supplies contract labour for any work of the establishment and includes a subcontractor.

5. The other definitions relevant to the meaning of a contractor are establishment, principal employer and workman.

"Establishment" as defined in section 2(e) of the Act means (i) any office or department of the Government or a local authority, or (ii) any place wh

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