IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) TUESDAY, THE TWENTY NINETH DAY OF APRIL TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE C.V.RAMULU WRIT PETITION NO.14295 of 2000 Between: 1 Sri Ragola Venkata Rao, S/o. Sri Thaviti Naidu, R/o. Door No. 18-68-3/2, Kotha Salipeta, M.R.Peta, Visakhapatnam-2. 2 Sri Rongali Maheswara Rao, S/o. Sri Kannam Naidu, R/o. Door No. 61-5-60, R.K. Puram, Visakhapatnam-11. 3 Sri Nandavarapu Appa Rao, S/o. Sri Appanna, R/o. Rajupalem Last, narsingraopeta, PO, Paravada Mandal, Visakhapatnam District. 4 Sri Nakka Rama Rao, S/o. Sri Laxmaiah, R/o. Door No. 65-3-115, Ex-Serviceman Colony, Visakhapatnam-11. 5 Sri Perla Srinu, S/o. Sri Narsingha Rao, R/o. Door No. 64-14-15, Near Old Ramalayam, Sriharipuram, Visakhapatnam-11. 6 Sri Rongali Gowri Naidu, S/o. Sri Kotipalli, R/o. Door No. 65-3-318, Ex-Servicemen Colony, Visakhapatnam-11. 7 Sri Sivakoti Umashankar, S/o. Sri Gurulingam, R/o. Door No. 61-2-22, Near United Churuch, Visakhapatnam-11. 8 Sri B. Kanakaraj, S/o. Sri Somulu, R/o. Door No.4/54, Boravanipalem, Paradesipalem PO, Bhimili, Visakhapatnam. 9 Sri Chouduvada Ganesh, S/o. Sri Pettaiah, R/o. Ex-Servicemen Colony, Nehrunagar, Visakhapatnam-11. 10 Sri Akkireddy Seshu, S/o. Sri Ramu, R/o. C/o. A.Prasad, D.No. 9-9-26/3, Sivajipalem, Visakhapatnam-17. 11 Sri Kintada Devudu, S/o. Sri Mallesh, R/o. D.No. 71-31-1491, Chintala Lova, Visakhapatnam-5. 12 Sri Kolli Anil, S/o. Sri Demudu, R/o. Ex-Servicemen Colony, Nehrunagar, Visakhapatnam-11. 13 Sri Addepalli Prasad, S/o. Sri Atchi Babu, R/o. D.No. 9-926/3, Sivajipalem, Visakhapatnam-17. 14 Sri Pilla Chitti Babu, S/o. Satyanarayana, R/o. D.No. 65-3-92, Near Cormandal Gate, Visakhapatnam-11. 15 Sri K.Bhoja Shetty, S/o. Sri Maha bala Shetty, R/o. D.No. 63-5-179, Jaawaharnagar, Visakhapatnam-11. 16 Sri Dalai Someshwara Rao, S/o. Sri Yellaiah, R/o. D.No. 14-3(1), Near Prema Hospital, Visakhapatnam. 17 Sri Pothina Gurunadh, S/o. Sri Varahalu, R/o. D.No. 5/129, Chandrampalem, Visakhapatnam-41. 18 Sri Nambaru Appala Raju, S/o. Sri Venkanna, R/o. D.No. 188/1, Gollaveedhi, Chinanadupur, Peragantyada PO, Visakhapatnam-44. 19 Sri Adeepalli Srinivasa Rao, S/o. Sri Rama Murthy, R/o. D.No. 37-9-53, Suryanagar, Visakhapatnam-7. 20 Sri Akkireddi Gurunadh, S/o. Sri Ramu, R/o. D.No. 9-9-26/3, Sivajinagar, Visakhapatnam-17. 21 Sri kasipalli Srinu, S/o. Sri mathayya, R/o. D.No. S.C. Colony, Golagam, Anakapalli-2, Visakhapatnam District. 22 Sri M. Kiran Prasad, S/o. Sri Rama Rao, R/o. D.No. 59-7-30, Nagarala Street, Visakhapatnam-11. 23 Sri Yelamsetti Srinu, S/o. Sri Samudram, R/o. D.No. 4/14, Krishna Nagar, Visakhapatnam-26. 24 Sri Nagesh S. Shetty, S/o. Sri Sridhar Shetty, R/o. C/o. R. Venkata Rao, D.No. 18-68-3/2, Kothasaripet, M.R.Peta, Visakhapatnam-2. 25 Sri Balireddi Srinu, S/o. Sri Rama Murthy, R/o. Domunapalli Village, Laxmipuram Post, Chodavaram, Visakhapatnam District. 26 Sri Erla Adinarayana, S/o. Sri Sanyasi, R/o. D.No. 29-13-A, M.S.N. Colony, Visakhapatnam-4. 27 Sri Gorli Rami Naidu, S/o. Sri Arjuna, R/o. Sudivalsa Village, K.Kotapadu Post, Visakhapatnam District. 28 Sri Chouduvada Durga Rao, S/o. Sri Laxmaiah, R/o. Ex-Servicemen Colony, Nehrunagar, Visakhapatnam-11. 29 Sri Sabbavarapu Venkata Ramana, S/o. Sri Appala Konda, R/o. D.No. 63-1-87, Burma Colony, Visakhapatnam-11. 30 Sri Kola Nageswara Rao, S/o. Sri Appa Rao, R/o. D.No. 63-4-44, Pavnputranagar, Visakhapatnam-11. 31 Sri M.Mahalakshmi Naidu, S/o. Surinaidu, R/o. D.No. 18-68-3/2, Kothasalipet, M.R.Pet, Visakhapatnam-2. ..... PETITIONERS AND 1 Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Visakhapatnam. rep. by its General Manager. 2 Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Bombay, rep. by its Chairman & Managing Director. .....RESPONDENTS Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court may be pleased to issue any writ, order or direction particularly one in the nature of MANDAMUS directing the respondents to treat the petitioners as its employees with all consequential and attendant benefits including payment of salaries as admissible from the date of engagement and to pass such other relief or reliefs, as this Honourable Court may deem fit, just and necessary in the circumstances of the case. Counsel for the Petitioners: MR.G.VIDYASAGAR Counsel for the Respondents: MR.D.V.SITHARAM MURTHY The Court made the following: THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE C.V. RAMULU WRIT PETITION No.14295 OF 2000 ORDER: Petitioners, who are 31 in number, claim to be working in the canteen maintained by the respondent-Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Visakhapatnam. Further, they claim that the respondent-Corporation is obligated under the law to maintain a canteen for the benefit of its workers under Section 46 of the Factories Act and any person, who works in the factory, is treated as employee of the organization. Therefore, they filed the present writ petition seeking a direction to the respondent- Corporation to treat them as employees of the respondent-Corporation and extend all the benefits, as per law. The law in this regard is no more res integra. It is covered by catena of Judgments of the Apex Court and it is suffice to notice the judgment rendered in Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd. v. M.Venkataiah, whereunder the decision of this Court, in similar writ petitions, that the principal employer has statutory obligation to provide canteen for its workmen and canteen employees would be the employees of principal employer and they would be entitled for regularization of their services and salary on par with regular employees, was upheld by the Supreme Court. In fact, this decision was made against the very same Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Visakhapatnam, where the petitioners herein are working. In view of the above, the writ petition is disposed of directing the respondents to treat the petitioners as employees of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Visakhapatnam, and consider regularization of their services and extend all the benefits on par with regular employees. No order as to costs. _________________ JUSTICE C.V. RAMULU 29th April, 2008. IBL To 1 The General Manager, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Visakhapatnam. 2 The Chairman & Managing Director. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Bombay. 3 Two CD copies