Judgment

Mrs. Sujata V. Manohar, J.-In these appeals from a judgment of the Full Bench of the Kerala High Court, we have to examine whether the appellant-Coir Board is an industry as defined in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The appellant-Coir Board, Ernakulam, Cochin, has been set up under the Coir Industry Act, 1953. In the Statement of Objects and Reasons for the Act, it is stated “(1) The Coir Industry has definite role to play in our national economy. It is of very great economic importance to Travancore Cochin where it is concentrated and also, from the point of view of earning foreign exchange, of impor­tance to the whole country. It has, however, been passing through acute depression since the middle of 1952 as a result of the marked decline in exports. With a view to controlling production, improving its quality, weeding out the undesirable elements in the export trade and developing the internal market so as to reduce the industry’s dependence on exports, it is considered necessary to establish a Statutory Board on the lines of Boards set up for other plantation industries.

2. In order to finance the development of this industry it is proposed that a duty up to Re. 1/-