UTKAL CONTRACTORS & JOINERY (P) LTD. & ORS. vs STATE OF ORISSA

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Orissa Forest Produce (Control of Trade) (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 1987, which aimed to render ineffective a prior Supreme Court decision regarding the Orissa Forest Produce (Control of Trade) Act, 1981. The Court ruled that the ordinance did not encroach upon judicial power and that the State was empowered to enact laws for creating monopolies in forest produce under Articles 19 and 32 of the Constitution. The Court clarified that the validity of legislative notifications cannot solely be assessed based on the statement of objects and reasons accompanying the legislation.