.{1}. IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION [1] WRIT PETITION NO.2575 OF 1999 Transport & Dock Workers’ Union. ..Petitioner. Versus ONGC LTD & ORS. ..Respondents. .. Mr.Anand Grover, Adv. i/b. Mr.Prakash Mahadik, Adv. for the Petitioner. Mr.S.P.Bhalwal, Adv. i/b. M/s.Vyas & Bhalwal, for Respondent No.1 .. ALONGWITH [2] WRIT PETITION NO.408 OF 1996 Petroleum Employees Union. ..Petitioner. Versus Oil & Natural Gas Comm. & Ors. ..Respondents. .. Mr.S.S. Pakale, Adv. for the Petitioner. Mr.S.P.Bhalwal, Adv. i/b. M/s.Vyas & Bhalwal, for Respondent No.1 .. ALONGWITH [3] WRIT PETITION NO.88 OF 1998 Transport & Dock Workers Union. ..Petitioner. Versus ONGC & Ors. ..Respondents. .. Mr.Anand Grover, Adv. i/b. Mr.Prakash Mahadik, Adv. for the Petitioner. .{2}. Mr.S.P.Bhalwal, Adv. i/b. M/s.Vyas & Bhalwal, for Respondent No.1. .. ALONGWITH [4] WRIT PETITION NO.1161 OF 2000 General Employees Assoc. ..Petitioner. Versus Oil & Natural Gas Corpn. Ltd., and Ors. ..Respondents. .. Mr.S.S. Pakale, Adv. for the Petitioner. Mr.S.P.Bhalwal, Adv. i/b. M/s.Vyas & Bhalwal, for Respondent No.1 .. ALONGWITH [5] WRIT PETITION NO.2021 OF 2000 ONGC Karmachari Sanghatana. ..Petitioner. Versus Oil & Natural Gas Corpn. Ltd., and Anr. ..Respondents. .. None for the Petitioner. Mr.S.P.Bhalwal, Adv. i/b. M/s.Vyas & Bhalwal, for Respondent No.1 .. ALONGWITH [6] WRIT PETITION NO.2381 OF 2000 General Employees Assoc. ..Petitioner. Versus Oil & Natural Gas Corpn. Ltd., and Ors. ..Respondents. .. .{3}. Mr.S.S. Pakale, Adv. for the Petitioner. Mr.S.P.Bhalwal, Adv. i/b. M/s.Vyas & Bhalwal, for Respondent No.1 .. ALONGWITH [7] WRIT PETITION NO.969 OF 2001 Nimba Z. Patil & Ors. ..Petitioners. Versus Oil & Natural Gas Corpn. Ltd., & Ors. ..Respondents. .. None for the Petitioners. Mr.S.P.Bhalwal, Adv. i/b. M/s.Vyas & Bhalwal, for Respondent No.1 .. CORAM : S.B.MHASE AND CORAM : S.B.MHASE AND CORAM : S.B.MHASE AND SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,JJ. SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,JJ. SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,JJ. DATED : MARCH 18, 2008. DATED : MARCH 18, 2008. DATED : MARCH 18, 2008. P.C.:- P.C.:- P.C.:- 1. Heard both sides. 2. Perused the judgment of the Apex Court in the matter of Rashtriya Chem. & Fertilizers Ltd. & Anr. Rashtriya Chem. & Fertilizers Ltd. & Anr. Rashtriya Chem. & Fertilizers Ltd. & Anr. Vs. General Employees Association & Ors. Vs. General Employees Association & Ors. Vs. General Employees Association & Ors., passed on 23rd April, 2007 in Civil Appeal No.2122 of 2007 (arising out of SLP (C) No.594 of 2004, wherein the Apex Court has observed that the Association should have been left to avail remedy available under the I.D. Act. It has been further observed that, "it is open to the Association, if it is so advised, to move the appropriate State Government seeking reference of the purported dispute to the Tribunal. It is for the .{4}. State Government to consider whether any reference is called for." The learned Advocates for the petitioners have already made a statement before this Court they have already made applications to the appropriate Government to make a reference under the I.D. Act, however, these applications have not been decided by the appropriate Government. In view of this position, we issue the following directions : (i) The respondent appropriate Government is directed to dispose of the applications made by the petitioners for making reference on its own merits in accordance with law; (ii) We make it clear that the appropriate Government will consider the dispute raised by the petitioners in their applications for making reference, on its own merits and decide as to whether the reference is to made or not to be made. This decision shall be taken by the appropriate Government within four weeks from today. (iii) Stay which is operating in Writ Petition No.88 of 1998 shall continue initially till the decision on the applications to make the .{5}. reference, and two weeks thereafter. (iv) Petitions are disposed of with the above directions. [SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,J.] [S.B.MHASE,J.] [SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,J.] [S.B.MHASE,J.] [SMT.V.K.TAHILRAMANI,J.] [S.B.MHASE,J.]