Appeal No 502 of 1974
From the Judgment and Order dated 162
1973 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in WA No 227 of 1972
Mrs Kitty Kumaramangalam and CV Subba Rao for the Appellant
A Subba Rao for the Respondents
The following Order of the Court was delivered ORDER After hearing Smt
Kitty Kumaramangalam learned counsel for 802 the appellant and Shri A Subba Rao learned counsel for the respondents we are inclined to the view that the High Court was not right in its interpretation of the word and  used at the end of paragraph b of sub cl
ii of the proviso to cl
b of sub section
1 of section 3 of the as being conjunctive
In the present case admittedly the respondents are engaged in working an open cast mine
After an inspection the Inspector of Mines found that the respondents were engaged in the open cast mining and the number of persons employed on any one day exceeded 50
That being so the respondents fell within the mischief of the proviso to clb of section 31 of the Act and became subject to the provisions of the Act
The Inspector was therefore well within his powers to serve a notice under section 22 read with section 17 of the Act calling upon the respondents to appoint a qualified Manager for the mine
The High Court on an errone ous interpretation of the word and  occurring at the end of paragraph b of sub cl
ii of the proviso to cI b of sub section
1 of section 3 of the Act held that the use of the word and  made the three paragraphs conjunctive and unless the conditions specified in paragraphs a b and c co existed the Inspector had no authority to serve the im pugned notice
It accordingly allowed the writ petition filed by the respondents and quashed the impugned notice
In order to appreciate the point involved
it is neces sary to refer to a few statutory provisions
The object and purpose of the Act as reflected in the long title is that it is an Act to amend and consolidate the law relating to the regulation of labour and safety in mines
By section 2h of the Act a person is said to be employed  in a mine who works under appointment by or with the knowledge of the manager whether for wages or not in any mining operation
Sub section
1 of section 3 of the Act provides that the provisions of the Act except those contained in sections 7 8 9 44 45 and 46 shall not apply to a any mine or part thereof in which excavation is being made for prospecting purposes only and not for the purpose of obtaining minerals for use or sale b any mine engaged in the extraction of any of the minerals specified therein including lime stone
There is a proviso under each of the clauses a and b and they set forth three conditions on the happening of any one of which the proviso would be attracted that is to say the provi sions of the Act would be made applicable to such a mine
The provision of sub section
1 of section 3 of the Act insofar as relevant for purposes of this case reads as follows 3 Act not to apply in certain cases 1 The provisions of 803 this Act except those contained in sections 7 8 9 44 45 and 46 shall not apply to a x x b any mine engaged in the extrac tion of kankar murrum laterite boulder gravel shingle ordinary sand excluding moulding sand glass sand and other mineral sands ordinary clay excluding kaolin china clay white clay or fire clay building stone road metal earth fuller s earth and lime stone Provided that i x x x ii where it is an open cast working a the depth of the excavation measured from its highest to its lowest point nowhere exceeds six meters b the number of persons employed on any one day does not exceed fifty and c explosives are not used in con nection with the excavation According to the plain meaning the exclusionary clause in sub section
1 of section 3 of the Act read with the two provisos beneath clauses a and b the word and  at the end of paragraph b of sub cl
ii of the proviso to cl
b of section 31 must in the context in which it appears be construed as or  and if so construed
the existence of any one of the three conditions stipulated in paragraphs a b and c would at once attract the proviso to clauses a and b of sub section 1 of section 3 and thereby make the mine subject to the provisions of the Act
The High Court overlooked the fact that the use of the negative language in each of the three clauses implied that the word and  used at the end of cl
b had to be read disjunctively
That construction of ours is in keeping with the legislative intent manifested by the scheme of the Act which is primarily meant for ensuring the safety of workmen employed in the mines
We accordingly allow the appeal set aside the judgment of the 804 High Court and dismiss the writ petition
However it was represented by learned counsel for the respondent that it is difficult to find a duly qualified person to come and serve as Manager of a mine in rural areas and we should call upon the appellant to find a suitable person for appointment as Manager
Learned counsel for the appellant was however gracious enough to suggest that the Department will find a qualified person and depute him 26 work as Manager and the respondents shall be liable to pay his salary and allowances as may be stipulated by the Joint Director of Mines Safety
The Joint Director will select and depute a proper person to serve as Manager of the respondents  mine within thirty days from the receipt of this order
In view of this the appellant will consider the feasi bility of not launching a prosecution against the respond ents for their past failure to appoint a duly qualified Manager as required under section 17 of the 
NPV Appeal allowed


Summary:
The Inspector of Mines after an inspection found that the respondents were engaged in working an open cast mine and that the number of persons employed on any one day exceeded 50
As respendents fell within the mischief of the proviso to clause b of Section 31 of the  and became subject to the provisions of the Act he served a notice under Section 22 read with Section 17 of the Act calling upon the respondents to appoint a qualified Manager for the mine
The respondents filed a writ petition in the High Court which allowed the petition and quashed the impugned notice on the ground that the use of the word and  occurring at the end of paragraph b of sub clause ii of the proviso to clause b of sub section 1 of Section 3 of the Act made the three paragraphs conjunctive and unless the condi tions specified in paragraphs a b and c co existed the Inspector had no authority to serve the impugned notice
Allowing the appeal by the Joint Director of Mines Safety
HELD 11
The High Court was not right in its interpre tation of the word and  used at the end of paragraph b of sub clause ii of the proviso to clause b of sub section 1 of Section 3 of the  as being conjunc tive
It overlooked the fact that the use of the negative language in each of the three clauses implied that the word and  used at the end of clause b had to be read disjunc tively
803G 801 21 Sub section 1 of section 3 of the Act provides that the provisions of the Act except those contained in sections 7 8 9 44 45  46 shall not apply to a any mine or part thereof in which excavation is being made for prospect ing purposes only and not for the purpose of obtaining minerals for use or sale b any mine engaged in the ex traction of any of the minerals specified therein including lime stone
There is a proviso under each of the clauses a and b and they set forth three conditions on the happening of any one of which the proviso would be attracted that is to say the provisions of the Act would be made applicable to such a mine
802F H 22 According to the plain meaning the exclusionary clause in sub section 1 of Section 3 of the Act read with the two provisos beneath clauses a and b the word and  at the end of paragraph b of sub clause ii of the provi so to clause b of Section 31 must in the context in which it appears be construed as or  and if so constrned the existence of any one of the three conditions stipulated in paragraphs a b and c would at once attract the proviso to clauses a and b of sub section 1 of Section 3 and thereby make the mine subject to the provisions of the Act
Such construction is in keeping with the legislative intent mainrested by the scheme of the Act which is primari ly meant for ensuring the safety of workmen employed in the mines
803E H The Department will find a qualified person and depute him to work as Manager and respondents shall be liable to pay his salary and allowances as may be stipulated by the Joint Director of Mines Safety