BARMAN, J.

( 1 ) THESE nine several writ petitions herein, challenging the validity and correctness of certain awards made by the Industrial Tribunal, Orissa arose out of certain industrial disputes between the Management of Machkund Hydro Electric Project and their workmen. In five of these writ petitions a preliminary point was taken, purported to have been taken on behalf of the Andhra Pradesh Government that the Orissa Government, who had made the reference in all these cases as aforesaid was not the "appropriate Government" within the meaning of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (Act XIV of 1947) and accordingly the said reference having been invalid, it was contended that the awards made thereunder were made by the Industrial Tribunal, Orissa without jurisdiction. We propose to deal with the preliminary point first before we come to the merits of each of these petitions which were analogously heard.

( 2 ) THE appropriate Government as defined in Section 2 (a) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (Act XIV of 1947) means :

" (i) in relation to any industrial dispute concerning an industry carried oh by Or under the authority of the Central Government or by a railway Company o