1. The challenge in this writ petition is to the award passed by the first respondent herein dated 30.01.2002 passed in I.D.No.137/2001, confirming the order of termination dated 12.01.1998 passed by the third respondent herein.

2. The case of the petitioner is that he was employed originally in the year 1963 as Maist fry for handling food grains at the Madras Harbour, as employed by the Regional Director (Food), Southern Region, Madras. The petitioner has become the employee of the Food Corporation of India [hereinafter referred to as 'FCI']. The employees working in the FCI are governed by The Food Corporation of India (Staff) Regulation, 1971, if they are staffs and if they are workmen, they are governed by the Model Standing Orders framed under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946. The petitioner, being a workman, is governed by the Model Standing Orders.

3. The petitioner was having unblemished record of 24 years of service. The petitioner was the founder and President of the FCI Employees' Cooperative Thrift and Credit Society. In the year 1983, the Elected Board was superseded by the Government and a Special Officer was appointed and the Special