P.K. Balasubramanyan, C.J.

1. The Bokaro Steel Plant, a Unit of Steel Authority of India Limited is a Government Company within the meaning of Section 617 of the Indian Companies Act, 1956. The Steel Authority of India Limited (hereinafter referred to as the SAIL) is also a Government Company incorporated with the main object of manufacturing, prospecting, buying, selling, importing, exporting, or otherwise dealing in iron and steel of all qualities, types and kinds and in any other steel and iron related products. The Bokaro Steel Plant is claimed to be a pioneer steel Plant of the country and one of the largest of its kind, having a total production capacity of 2 million tonnes per year. The steel Plant is covered by a network of gas pipelines, water network and steam pipelines. It is claimed that the whole system of network of pipelines is integrated and a very high standard of safety is required to maintain the minimum level of pressure in the pipelines. The pressure in the pipeline is directly proportional to the production level in the Plant and the entire steel Plant is maintained at the functional level, so that there is not even an hour of shut down in the plant. It